(CA) Governor's Rift With GOP Grows Wider ( Girly-man "no show" at convention )

Los Angeles Times ^ | February 21, 2009 | Michael Finnegan

[kellynla]

Reporting from Sacramento — After five years as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger came full circle on Friday: The film star who promised to rescue California from its fiscal wreckage without raising taxes signed into law $12.5 billion in tax hikes.

With that, the Republican governor broke one of the few bonds left between his shrunken party and California's mainstream voters, marring its hard-won image as a guardian against higher taxes.

"Their last gasp has been taken from them," said Larry N. Gerston, a political scientist at San Jose State, citing the unpopularity among most California voters of the party's conservative stands on abortion, illegal immigration and other touchstone issues. "It puts them in a very precarious position."

By repudiating the thrust of his candidacy in the 2003 recall -- "I will not raise taxes," Schwarzenegger stated flatly the day after he won -- the governor has also enraged the conservatives who dominate the party.

For Republicans convening at a state party convention this weekend in Sacramento, it is a wrenching moment. Schwarzenegger is skipping the event to attend a governors' conference in Washington. But his turnaround on taxes has darkened the mood of the hundreds of party loyalists venting their frustration in a hotel where the governor often stays in a penthouse suite.

[kellynla]

"There's a village back there in Austria right now that could sure have their idiot back any time they want,"

[kellynla]

ping

[Venturer]

No man can marry a Kennedy and not be perverted by them.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

You know, we have a lot of "natural born" idiots that could have done just as well for that wonderful state, with its once massive economy.

Now I'm renewing my hope that it will violently fall into the Pacific...soon. (Peace)

[kellynla]

Larry N. Gerston, a political scientist at San Jose State, citing the unpopularity among most California voters of the party's conservative stands on abortion, illegal immigration

I'd like to know where all these folks are in CA who support illegal immigration...at a cost of TEN BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, we could do a hellofalot better around here without the MILLIONS of illegals we are supporting!

[raptor29]

But not a mention of the biggest, smelliest gorilla in the room, the $16 billion annually that is spent in California on services to illegals. $16 billion. Now, look at how much the ridiculous new taxes are supposed to raise, put it side by side with the $16 billion. And nobody, anywhere, talking about it.

[Don Corleone]

“In California they should hang citizens from trees and give oranges the vote!!:”...Fred Allen

[gwilhelm56]

“The Party on the LEFT, is now the Party on the RIGHT”

‘We Won’t Be Fooled Again’
The WHO

[kellynla]

“Now I'm renewing my hope that it will violently fall into the Pacific...soon.”

we could say the same for Maine falling in the Atlantic...nobody would miss Maine because it's not exactly a bastion of conservatism now is it! shezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

[screaminsunshine]

As I write a Republican Govenor is on C-Span extolling the virtues of the free money from Obama. Let this be a warning. Do not expect Republicans to stop the Commies.

[gwilhelm56]

**we could say the same for Maine falling in the Atlantic**

Maybe when it goes ... it’ll take Vermont and MASS with it?

A man can DREAM!!!

[gwilhelm56]

**As I write a Republican Govenor is on C-Span extolling the virtues of the free money from Obama. Let this be a warning. Do not expect Republicans to stop the Commies.**

As I now feel the need to take another SHOWER for my vote in November. McCAIN needed a MONDALE style Defeat to wake up the Republicans. I helped to keep that from happening.. Sarah DID make it a LITTLE EASIER.. but ....

[Mojave]

Don't blame me. I voted for McClintock.

[zwerni]

let’s not kid ourselves - this guy was never conservative and only a republican in name only...

lets hope he eases the that state into the calm pacific seas...

[kellynla]

“Don’t blame me. I voted for McClintock.”

So did I and if those who “said” they were going to vote for McClintock had actually voted for him in 2003 instead of RINOld, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in today!!!

[screaminsunshine]

Now I know how Sitting Bull and Geronimo felt.

[kellynla]

“lets hope he eases the that state into the calm pacific seas...”

there are about 12 million Conservatives in CA who wouldn’t like that, thank you...now NJ could fall off the coast and no one would miss it....of course, we’d have to spend the next 100 years cleaning up the ocean sludge LMAO

[MrBigA]

We can only dream of how great this state would have been had the Repulicans backed Tom McClintock. We were so desperate to axe Davis and block Bustamonte, that many turned to celebrity and nominated the Jerkinator. Arnold sold out quickly with Embryonic Stem Cell funding, he backed down on the border, he sold us out on the Global Warming Fraud, and he refused to fight the unions and allowed all of his ballot initiatives to fail without a fight. What a loser, no wonder he backed McAmnasty.

[screaminsunshine]

He is a RINO perfect example of where RINOS will lead us. We need a purge. I will not vote RINO if he is running against Karl Marx. No more!

[ecomcon]

Nah, there’s no oranges or avocados here anymore. They all come from Mexico now. They’re turning off the water to farmers too. Farming sucks, right? It like uses water or something, and fertilizer.