Free Republic

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he stands by comparison of January 6th Capitol riots to Kristallnacht attack on Jewish people because 'a lot of people in America today are being misled'

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to the late Sen. John McCain's defense after President Trump spent the last week attacking his old critic. Schwarzenegger, 71, the Austrian-born politician who rose to fame with the U.S. by his roles in "Conan the Barbarian" and the "Terminator" movies, said the type of vitriol coming from the president is unbecoming of the office. “[McCain] was just an unbelievable person,” Schwarzenegger told the Atlantic. “So an attack on him is absolutely unacceptable if he’s alive or dead — but even twice as unacceptable since he passed away a few months ago. It doesn’t...

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger?

In a shocking display of common sense and responsibility, Californeeya's Governator Arnold Schwartzenegger has ordered that state workers be put on minimum wage of $7.25 and hour, until the state legislature passes a budget. I haven't been too impressed with much that the Governator's done in office, but this was a good call, in a broken-clock-is-right-twice-a-day kinid of way. Besides, that's where most state workers should be anyway, IMO - I mean, they're civil servants, right? At any rate, this puts Schwartzenegger in a category of being way more responsible than Obama, who has let the US Congress dally and...

Schwarzenegger suggested that when the GOP leaders sit down with President Obama for a bipartisan health care summit Thursday, it's in their interest and the country's to compromise. "If there is a will, there's a way," he said. "If you really want to serve the people and not just your party, I think you will find that sweet spot and you can get it done."

I recently read a newsmax.com article (California Becomes Fiscal Basket Case) summarizing California's fiscal woes that included an observation from USC professor Kevin Starr that "California is on the verge of becoming the first failed state in America." Recounting the history of California's current woes, the article notes that "Had California lived within the limitation imposed under the 1979 Gann Amendment, which limited the growth of spending to the rate of economic growth, some analysts say the state would be in a far better fiscal situation today. But former Gov. George Deukmejian allowed exemptions to budget items, such as education,...

It's the Holy Grail of reformers and politicians, a seemingly oxymoronic two-word phrase that prompts cynics to sneer and fans the faint hopes of taxpayers: "Government efficiency." From the outset of his administration in fall 2003, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rhetorical arsenal has consistently featured calls for making California's government leaner, more responsive and more citizen-friendly. ...California's tax collection system has evolved as the state has added taxes to its revenue base.... An amendment in the 1879 state constitution created the Board of Equalization (BOE). Its four elected members (plus the state controller) were charged with "equalizing" property assessments. In the...

The California Supreme Court upheld the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage in California, putting lots of politicians on the defensive, and giving rise to the question of when judicial review of the public will is appropriate.

The worst governor in America went on TV today with a message for his fellow Republicans. If socialized healthcare and collectivist solutions contradict your principles - abandon them! Note to Ahnold - Principles are the things that you never abandon... and cannot set aside. This guy is rapidly becoming a case study in why we need tighter immigration laws.

Vienna, one of the spy capitals of the world by Philippe Schwab Fri Feb 20, 9:06 pm ET VIENNA (AFP) – Twenty years after the end of the Cold War, Vienna remains a spy haven, swarming with foreign agents who think nothing of killing in broad daylight, while the Austrian authorities turn a blind eye, experts say. Vienna formed the backdrop to Orson Welles's legendary spy thriller "The Third Man" in 1949, but even today it remains a hive of secret service activity. "Austria is still a favourite place for agents. They're frequently known to the authorities, but rarely hindered....

Anyone who has played no-limit poker, or at least watched it on television, savors the moment when a player calls "all-in," and shoves his or her chips into the middle of the table. Does the bettor really have a winning hand and want someone to call, or is it a bluff, daring others to risk their chips by matching the wager? Other players intently study the all-in bettor's face and hands for clues, or "tells," as gamblers term them. The absolutely worst mistake by an all-in player would be to reveal that it's merely a bluff. And that's what Gov....

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign legislation prohibiting California's public retirement funds from investing in Iran, timing his Monday announcement to coincide with his United Nations address and a controversial New York visit by Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "California has a long history of leadership and doing what's right with our investment portfolio," Schwarzenegger said in a statement released Monday morning. "Last year, I was proud to sign legislation to divest from the Sudan to take a powerful stand against genocide. I look forward to signing legislation to divest from Iran to take an equally powerful stand against terrorism."

Greener governor seen as rootlessHis inconsistencies on environment befuddle activists. By Kevin Yamamura - Bee Capitol Bureau Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, April 15, 2007 In the latest issue of Outside magazine, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wears an untucked green shirt and jeans, posing as a champion of the environment. He sits on a rock surrounded by a squirrel, rabbit and other creatures of the forest. All while wearing his trademark boots made of dead animal skins. Schwarzenegger has suddenly become an international global warming hero, albeit one with a penchant for Hummers and alligator boots. California environmentalists still aren't entirely...

For a while now, the conventional wisdom has been that John McCain is sucking up to the right wing of the Republican Party in order to augment his chances of winning the nomination in 2008. I guess I had bought into that sentiment, because this account of McCain slamming Bush on, of all issues, global warming with his buddy Ahhhnold in Cahleefohnhuh caught me by surprise.

Plan B: the United State of Schwarzenegger MEMO TO: Arnold Schwarzenegger: Though you'll still be hobbling on crutches, Governor, your Inauguration on Friday will surely be a blast. With Donna Summer and Jennifer Holliday belting out songs at your $1.4 million party, and Paul Anka re-creating the lyrics to "My Way" to pay homage, no one can accuse you of backing away from your showbiz roots. So let's get real, Governor -- your political career is just warming up. If your rhetoric can galvanize the California electorate, why stop there? Sure, we all realize the constraints on foreign-born presidents, but...

I've been very popular lately! Important people have been calling ME! So far, the major callers have been The Governator and Mr. Clint Eastwood! I feel so special!

Some not warming to theory Published 12:01 am PDT Saturday, July 29, 2006 For California, sporadic blasts of withering heat are as typical as earthquakes. Not new. Not unexpected. But able to dominate our days, our nights and our conversations with an oppressive drumbeat of discomfort. So those who study weather and climate weren't surprised to be asked repeatedly if the recent stretch of killing heat was yet another effect of global warming. Their short answer is, if so, global climate change would be just one factor stirred into a confounding brew of other effects, including the routine variability of...

The Governator Wants Solutions... to reduce Carbon-based Emissions???

Of course I support the Governor and I definitely want him to be re-elected, but if we don't state clearly what our principles are, what do we stand for? How can we not indicate our displeasure with fiscally irresponsible policy? How do the policies advocated by the Governor differ from the policies that would be advocated by Angelides or Westly? Shouldn't the Party state publicly that it stands for fiscal conservatism, or should we just avert our eyes and not take a stand for our core principles? If we do, how do we say to those we want to recruit...

It's been a week since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger named Democratic operative, abortion rights activist and former Gray Davis aide Susan Kennedy as his new chief of staff, and Republican fury is unabated. Republican leaders in the state Senate and Assembly have criticized the choice; California Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim has scheduled a closed-door meeting with the Governor next week to express his concerns -- most notably, that a Democrat would be privy to confidential Republican strategies next year as the Governor runs for re-election.