Posted on 09/25/2005 1:12:16 PM PDT by SmithL
OAKLAND, Calif. - Warren Beatty has a message for his old Hollywood pal, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: it's nothing personal.
"Arnold's always thinking about him, but I'm not," Beatty said in an interview Thursday night after he'd skewered Schwarzenegger in a speech to the California Nurses Association. "When I do think about him, I'm amused. I've always liked him. But I don't think he knows what he's doing."
His wife, actress Annette Bening, agreed.
"I think the special election is really dangerous," she said. "It's not personal, it's bigger than that. I don't see it as personal, and I don't think Warren does."
But it's safe to say others might.
Beatty, the actor-director and longtime Democratic activist, has emerged as one of the governor's most visible antagonists this year, fueling speculation that he might be the latest aging Hollywood superstar considering a run for governor. Beatty has cleverly stoked that speculation, ensuring considerable publicity every time he speaks up.
Beside the nurses' convention, Beatty tore into Schwarzenegger at an awards banquet in Beverly Hills last March and during a graduation speech at the University of California, Berkeley's public policy school in May.
Beatty's harsh words have been a bit puzzling for Schwarzenegger. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said he and Beatty had a "great relationship" despite their divergent political views. He also suggested his fellow actor was out of work and looking for attention.
"Because, you know, he can give a speech somewhere and if he doesn't mention my name and no one writes about it," Schwarzenegger said. "So...that's why he throws my name in because it becomes newsworthy and it becomes big and gets coverage."
That comment made Beatty smile.
"I think I've had enough attention to last 50 lifetimes," he said. "I've been politically active since the early 1960s and it wasn't for the attention. I've always had enough attention."
Still, listening to Beatty enumerate Schwarzenegger's alleged failings as governor, one could understand why the governor might take Beatty's words a bit personally.
Before a boisterous crowd and a huge phalanx of reporters and photographers at the nurses convention Thursday night, Beatty used colorful language to slam Schwarzenegger's "year of reform" ballot initiatives and the Nov. 8 special election.
"Now we have to respond to this odious tactic, a cosmetic exercise to build up his image...after having accomplished little or nothing in office," Beatty declared, saying Schwarzenegger's tenure had been defined by "fake events, fake issues and fake crowds and backdrops."
Recounting conversations with Schwarzenegger when they both worked in Hollywood, Beatty suggested that civic engagement did not seem to interest the governor during his days as a bodybuilder-turned-action star.
"To be fair, in the times I tried to draw him out on political stuff, he did say a couple of very smart things," Beatty recalled. "One is that if you're eating egg whites on a high protein, low cholesterol diet, it's a mistake to throw the eggs away."
Standing before the nurse's group on Thursday, Beatty ducked the question of whether he would challenge Schwarzenegger next year, despite numerous standing ovations and chants of "Run, Warren run!" He said for now, he wants to focus on defeating the governor's ballot initiatives, which he's dubbed "union busting" and "reactionary."
Schwarzenegger is pushing measures that would enact a state spending cap, strip lawmakers of the power to draw their own district lines, and make it harder for teachers to get tenure. He's also endorsed a separate measure forcing public employee unions to get written permission from members before using their dues for political activity.
It's not hard to see why political observers have fallen hard for a mythical Beatty vs. Schwarzenegger matchup in next year's governor's race.
A Bulworth vs. the Terminator race would pair two outsized celebrities, each with attractive and famous wives and four telegenic children. In comparison, a race pitting Schwarzenegger against either of the Democrats who've actually announced plans to run - state Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly - seems a bit lackluster.
For now, Beatty doesn't sound much at all like a candidate, insisting that Westly and Angelides are "very capable people."
So why, then, does he maintain such a relentless focus on Schwarzenegger - especially when so many liberal celebrities prefer to train their ire on President Bush?
"Arnold is the governor of the state I live in," Beatty said simply. "I've lived here for 45 years. It's my home state, and it's my responsibility to speak out about these things."
And as long as there's a chance he might challenge Schwarzenegger in 2006, Beatty knows that if he speaks out, people will listen.
I have no idea why Beatty is going after Ahnold. They both have a common bond. They are both womanizers!
Beatty's wife is better looking...
Beatty is a true girly-man.
Which one is it, Beatty? You contradicted yourself in the above paragraph. First you say you're not thinking about Arnold, then you admit you are. Pu$$y.
all these liberal wackjob actors just sit and bitch but not one can get elected to office or even tries,, real easy to sit on the side lines and make speeches to the choir
watch lefties like Beatty take office and the state goes to crap
Look. Call a spade a spade.
It is personal.
Its just that liberal Democrats are too self conscious about their image and say," Its not personal."
What a load of crap!!
The Governator will take it as personal. He should.
Then he should simply do what the Rats don't want: win.
I agree but she's isn't as connected as Ahnold's wife. Did you know that Arnold employes ex israeli soldiers for his own security team? Beatty should be careful. He might get hurt!
I know it seems to be my theme today...but I don't "get" Warren Beatty either.
It's stiff competition, but Beatty has to be the stupidest of the Hollywood liberals if only for the fact that he comes out with these grand pronouncements that are -- how to put it? -- incredibly lame and nonsensical.
Since Ms. Bening is an actress, you don't need to give serious consideration to her words, any more than you'd consider the rest of what's coming out of Hellywood.
Good point. Throughout the years in interviews, Beatty has always contradicted himself. He has also toyed with the press about running for politics, and then always backs out.
I think he is very very jealous of Arnold.
Who really cares what these actors think?
What a waste of NFL time.
what a stupid thing to say. Both are happily married family men.
You are on the money there with the ex-Israeli Military BG's. They often act on their own initiative. I once saw 2 in service airmen walk straight thru a Canadian Customs Checkpoint in Gander , Newfoundland, into the main terminal concourse, no body even dared to mention they should go back to their aircraft and remove their sidearms.
They just walked straight thru. No one dared say a thing.Imagine an international incident with 2 sidearms on quick draw. The Canadian Customs officials just didn't want to go there.
You gotta love those Israeli's, just as much as Arnold does.!
Warren and Annette, airhead actors and experts on everything, offer more free advice.
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