Schwarzenegger opposed (ILLEGAL) immigrant services

AP | 8/11/03 | SANDRA MARQUEZ

[kattracks]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger voted for a 1994 ballot measure to deny social services to illegal immigrants, his campaign said Sunday — offering the first glimpse of the actor's stand on a major policy issue.

The Republican has promoted himself as the candidate in California's gubernatorial recall who can best appeal to the state's politically and ethnically diverse electorate.

But Democrats were quick to jump on the disclosure as a chink in the action hero's armor.

The GOP-backed Proposition 187 to deny health care and public education to illegal immigrants was passed by a wide margin, although it was eventually ruled unconstitutional. It remains a contentious issue and a litmus test for some voters, particularly Hispanics, to gauge whether a candidate is immigrant-friendly.

Schwarzenegger campaign manager George Gorton said the Austrian-born actor's vote for the measure would not prevent him from reaching out to all voters.

"He has a lot of empathy for people who have come here for a better way of living, whether they have gotten here legally or illegally," Gorton said. "But he definitely feels that people should get here legally."

Gorton said Hispanics were among the strongest supporters of Proposition 49, a ballot measure Schwarzenegger successfully campaigned for last year aimed at dedicating as much as $550 million annually to before- and after-school programs.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week," Art Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party, slammed Schwarzenegger for his decision to appoint former Gov. Pete Wilson, the architect of Proposition 187, as chairman of his new campaign.

"There's a famous phrase in our community, and that is, judge a person by the friends that he keeps," Torres said. "And unfortunately, his new chairman, Governor Wilson, supported 187 furiously against immigrants and Latinos."

The issue was one of the first Schwarzenegger's campaign has publicly addressed, discussing the vote in response to a reporter's inquiry.

Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who is trying to survive the recall, and Schwarzenegger's Republican rivals have criticized him for speaking mostly in generalities since announcing his candidacy Wednesday.

Davis opposed Proposition 187.

[kellynla]

I am crushed...Not! Let me draw you a picture. Aunold has yet to have a substantive news conference where we know how he is going to balance the budget and govern the state. Get the picture! But he has time to go to NY and promote more government programs. Aunold is a liberal RINO who supports socialist programs. That much we do know. Now if you can support him go right ahead. Get behind McClintock or pay the consequences October 8!

[kattracks]

Your statement about why Arnold was in NY was wrong. I pointed it out and told you to stick to the facts. You then came back with an entirely different statement.

Now you want to completely forget what you said to begin with.

And you want people to take anything else you say seriously?

[The Old Hoosier]

I hope this is still his position.

Don't bet on it.

[The Old Hoosier]

AP would have written it, or else more likely the editors at the paper that printed it. Reporters almost never write headlines.

[mac_truck]

Please explain why California conservatives should support McClintock over Bill Simon.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Get behind McClintock or pay the consequences October 8!

What are you going to do? Beat the crap out of people who don't vote for someone who is falling in the polls?

[pogo101]

Didn't respond to a thing I said, substantively.

Let me draw you a picture.
Get the picture!

Nice picture. Crayola?

But he has time to go to NY

Again with the irrelevancies. I'm sure you'll be happy to abandon your candidate if he leaves the state between now and October 7?

Get behind McClintock or pay the consequences October 8!

I'll back whichever GOP candidate has the best-looking shot at Democrat prevention. If Bustamante ends up narrowly defeating Schwarzenegger 35% to 33% (let us say), and McClintock supporters get, say, 12% (including your vote), just what can we say are the "consequences" of your vote?

[kellynla]

I deal in facts. I am wasting my time with someone who doesn't live, work or pay taxes in CA and has yet to respond to any facts that I have laid out. You like Aunold so much, you keep him. He and his liberal wife will fit right in with the liberal RINO NYC mayor,the Klintoons and the rest of the liberal socialists in NY.

[kellynla]

Do you live, work or pay taxes in CA?

[cyncooper]

I hope this is still his position.

Don't bet on it.

I would bet on it.

His campaign released the information on his vote for the proposition and they made a statement that he is for immigrants to arrive legally in this country.

If your fear were correct I would think the statement released would have been much different.

[kellynla]

Get behind McClintock or pay the consequences October 8!

[Quick1]

Actually, he's more of a liberal conservative. He's socially liberal, while economically conservative. To say that he's a socialist is simply way off the mark.

[pogo101]

None of your business, and yes. Do you?

[kellynla]

We don't need Aunold's after school progams. Children need to be doing their homework! Which, after looking at their grades nationally, is obviously not what they have been doing.

[demlosers]

This article has had 3 different titles. The liberal press thinks this is bad news so they repackage it via the title, and then send it back into the news. It's not bad news.

On the contrary, Schwarzenegger will get more votes by doing this then lose.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Another angry McClintonista speaks....

"Get behind McClintock or pay the consequences October 8!"

[The Old Hoosier]

His campaign released the information on his vote for the proposition and they made a statement that he is for immigrants to arrive legally in this country.

Notice what isn't in this heavily spun, written statement. I'll beleive it when he says he's going to implement 187 and appeal the court case.

[kattracks]

I deal in facts.

And when they don't suit your purposes, you change them.

[kellynla]

Well then you of all people should know that we cannot afford three years of a RINO. Whoever is elected governor and, say it is Aunold, that person has 3 years to turn this mess around. Because if they don't the Dimwits will beat the GOP over the head come 2006 with "3 years later and things are worse than before." No, we do not have the luxury of training a governor much less one who is a liberal RINO with "programs" on his mind. There is only one candidate who has a proposal to balance the budget and do so without raising taxes and/or fees.
VOTE 4 MCCLINTOCK! http://www.tommcclintock.com ...or pay the consequences on October 8!

[The Old Hoosier]

Re your tag line. This is not a case of finding an "electable" Republican.

First, no one is going to keep Davis, he's gone no matter what, and if McClintock's name on the ballot brings out conservatives who wouldn't vote otherwise, then you should be for it.

Second, Bustamante cannot win this election anyway. The left wing vote is split between him, Camejo (4%), Arnold (25%), Uberroth (4%), and Arianna (4%).

If Arnold can suck away enough support from Bustamante--and that is where more than half of his support is coming from, count on it--but still be badly battered by the upcoming charges of womanizing, groping etc., then conservatives could narrowly prevail. But only if one of the two conservatives (9% and 7%) drops out and throws his support to the other. A campaign that focuses on the car tax and prop 187 could put a conservative in the office.

This is the best chance the Right will ever have in California, and I'm really surprised to see so many flying the white flag already. Arnold agrees with Dick Riordan on almost every issue, and I don't remember you supporting Riordan.