Posted on 08/21/2006 9:49:18 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
CENTURY CITY - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped up the faithful Sunday at the state Republican Convention in Century City, sounding familiar campaign themes on taxes, immigration and education in a keynote speech.
The governor took center stage as the music of "Life Is A Highway" blared and attendees chanted "four more years!"
Outside the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza ballroom, where the convention was held, campaign reform and anti-illegal immigration activists protested the governor's appearance.
Meantime, his Democratic opponent, Treasurer Phil Angelides, said Schwarzenegger was distorting his record and trying to scare the voters.
Schwarzenegger told delegates that November's gubernatorial election was more than just a vote for governor but a vote for the state's future.
He pledged to continue to move the state forward without raising taxes, government spending or government control -- policies he accused his Angelides of supporting.
He said that three years ago, when he won a special recall election to become governor, the state was "broken," with higher unemployment, lower economic growth, and "the people of California were more worried and less hopeful."
Since then, however, "California is back," he said, using a variation of his famous movie line.
He said he helped rebuild the state by repealing the car tax and reforming workers' compensation, reducing the "structural deficit" from $16.5 billion to $3.5 billion, "and all of this without raising taxes."
He ticked off his administration's other accomplishments including passage of a bond issue for stem cell research; infrastructure improvements; increased private sector funding; and more money for education.
He repeatedly promised to "protect the California dream."
He also called the current immigration system broken and said the federal government "must strengthen our borders and deal with those here illegally in a reasonable way. We must always remember that we are a nation of immigrants who are part of the very fabric of our society."
"At the same time," he said, "we are a nation of laws and we will continue to insist that the federal government gets its act together, does its job, and secures our borders once and for all.
"And that's why we put the National Guard on our border, to assist the federal government to get their act together. Now my opponent wants to pull the National Guard off the border. He wants to give undocumented workers California drivers' license. His policies are disastrous."
He received rousing applause when he said legal immigrants should assimilate and "being an American means learning English."
Cheering turned to laughter when he added, "I know because I did -- not that it is perfect nearly, mind you -- but I did."
Calling education "the civil rights issue of the 21st century," he vowed to invest more money in schools -- including charter schools -- and provide greater local control.
"I love charter schools," he said.
He said parents should be able to compare schools online, like buying a car, to guarantee the best education for their child.
He accused Angelides of wanting to raise taxes by at least $18 billion.
"Our opponent has never met a tax he doesn't like or a tax he won't hike," he said.
"So what do we say to more taxes?" he challenged the crowd, which responded "no."
Angelides was in Palm Springs Sunday, where he unveiled a four-point plan to deal with autism, including increased funding for early diagnosis and intervention and programs to educate and empower parents of autistic children.
In a conference call with reporters, Angelides accused the governor of "doing what his Bush-Cheney team told him to do" which was to "distort, distort, distort, scare, scare, scare, lie, lie, lie."
Angelides said he wants to cut taxes for middle class, working families that make less than $100,000 a year and roll back "giveaways" to big corporations and special interests.
"The governor today once again made his phony charges about taxes," Angelides said. "And what these are all about is trying to hide the fact that he is running a campaign fueled by special interest dollars."
"I'm the one in this race who is fighting for middle class families," he said, adding that the governor's claim that Angelides wants to raise taxes by $18 billion is a "phony number."
On the immigration issue, he said he was "saddened the governor decided to inject divisiveness into the race," and that by "inflaming passions over immigration" Schwarzenegger showed he has no "core values" except to "do anything to save his own job."
"What the governor did today is he deliberately decided to fan the flames of bigotry among his anti-immigrant, right-wing Republican base," he said.
He said that instead of agreeing to station National Guard troops on the border, Schwarzenegger should have "told President Bush to do your job, but he didn't." He added that National Guard troops are already stretched thin by their commitment to Iraq.
Outside the Republican Convention, about 25 supporters of Proposition 89, an initiative that would limit campaign contributions, attempted to enter the hotel but were turned away by security.
"Is this the United States still?" asked an angry Deborah Ward, one of the group and a registered nurse employed at the Jules Stein institute. "I'm a Republican."
A Proposition 89 supporter, she blamed the "giant HMOs" for "greasing the palms" of politicians and blocking health care reform.
"My patients are suffering, they can't afford medication because they have to choose between their medication and food," Ward said. " What do you think they're going to choose? It's very, very sick."
Led by a man dressed in a red Kool-Aid costume, they shouted "Don't drink the Kool-Aid! Yes on 89!" Before dispersing, they chanted "We'll be back," a spin on one of Schwarzenegger's signature lines.
Meanwhile, in a separate protest, members of the Minuteman project waved American flags and lambasted the governor for what they called his wavering position on immigration reform.
"He's being vague, he's not being explicit," said Jim Gilchrist, founder of the group that is against illegal immigration.
"Does he want a national government under the rule of law or not?" Gilchrist asked.
He said Schwarzenegger had recently tagged the group as racist, despite his support of them in the past.
"I can't support an attack on the Minutemen," he said, adding that he will not vote for Schwarzenegger.
Jeff Millman, press secretary for the California Democratic Party, said the party squabbling on display at the convention pointed to weaknesses in Schwarzenegger's leadership.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger and the Republican Party is out of touch with the middle class in California," he said. "He refuses to cut taxes for the middle class and he raised tuition at the University of California. He said tuition was too low so he raised it $5,000 ... That's why Phil Angelides is going to cut tuition and cut taxes for the middle class and small business owners in California."
The convention concludes today with a prayer breakfast featuring the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny.
Schwarzenegger will attend services at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles.
Tonight, Angelides joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at Equality California's seventh annual Los Angeles Equality Awards, held to honor contributions to the cause of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
His campaign schedule for tomorrow was not immediately available.
Meanwhile, in a separate protest, members of the Minuteman project waved American flags and lambasted the governor for what they called his wavering position on immigration reform.
"He's being vague, he's not being explicit," said Jim Gilchrist, founder of the group that is against illegal immigration.
"Does he want a national government under the rule of law or not?" Gilchrist asked.
He said Schwarzenegger had recently tagged the group as racist, despite his support of them in the past.
"I can't support an attack on the Minutemen," he said, adding that he will not vote for Schwarzenegger.
The convention concludes today with a prayer breakfast featuring the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny.
Schwarzenegger will attend services at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles.
"Schwarzenegger will attend services at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles."
Nothing like tending to the Republican base, first and foremost.....
CA is becomming a cesspool. I have no idea what he's talking about. Each worker supports 16 illegal aliens. It's all over but the crying.
Each worker supports 16 illegal aliens.
Please explain. Thanks
Isn't that the tactic of Clinton and Kerry?
California $8.8 billion ($1,183 per native household)
Arizona $1.03 billion ($717 per native household)
Texas $3.73 billion ($725 per native household)
Florida4 $.91 billion ($315 per native household)
Yep.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=8138
As campaign stops go -- it wasn't an official one, but let's get real -- this one was a winner. The First AME, one of the nation's legendary African American congregations -- with a powerhouse choir providing the gospel music -- has been the must-see stopover for just about every Democratic politician seeking re-election, from Bill Clinton to Dianne Feinstein to Gray Davis.
. . .
Schwarzenegger acknowledged that First Lady Maria Shriver has also had a link with the First AME, where stained glass windows depict the likenesses of her two uncles, Robert F. Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy.
"My wife's family has had a great history there," said Schwarzenegger.
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