Free Republic

If the state of California, like many of its citizens, sent Christmas letters with its greeting cards, here's what they might say this year: Dear Friends, What a glorious, hopeful feeling there was under the Capitol dome as this year began! Gray Davis was gone. Enough said about that. We were just getting to know our new governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Far from an empty-headed bodybuilder and actor, he was turning out to be a savvy politician with a quick grasp of issues. On top of that, the "action governor" had a style as swashbuckling as his movie characters. That's why...

A lawsuit filed Thursday by a conservative legal group stands a strong chance of adding $800 million to California's budget shortfall, experts say. The Pacific Legal Foundation lawsuit seeks to keep Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from selling bonds to cover a scheduled payment into the pension fund for government employees. The sale of the bonds, which taxpayers would have to pay back over 20 years, was part of the governor's plan to balance the budget. "This is a borrowing without approval of the voters," said Harold Johnson, an attorney with the foundation, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Fullerton...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pardoned three men yesterday who were convicted of drug charges in the 1970s, marking the first state pardons in six years. The actions are a turnaround from the policy of Gov. Gray Davis, who never pardoned a convict during his 4½ years in office. Schwarzenegger has also been more aggressive than his predecessor at paroling convicted murderers and kidnappers, freeing dozens in his first year in office compared with the eight life-term inmates Davis paroled. The governor's office said in a statement the pardoned men, each 53 years old, had committed nonviolent crimes and rebounded by contributing...

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved exclusive interviews with associates for a biography due in June. "Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger," from Kennedy biographer Laurence Leamer, will include "the game plan to bring him to the White House," the New York Post's Cindy Adams reports today. "Six percent of the book will be handpicked lousy stuff like about his Nazi storm trooper father who will now suddenly get dumped on for being 'abusive.' We'll hear details of an early affair. Plus the 'startling' story of his wedding day and what that means, I have no idea," she writes.

ARNOLD Schwarzenegger, Republican governor of California and the biggest celebrity in the world, is still a political novice. His recent advice to the GOP reflects this. In an interview in Germany last week, Schwarzenegger said he wanted to see the Republican Party move to the left politically so it can win more elections. “The Republican Party currently covers only the spectrum from the right wing to the middle, and the Democratic Party covers the spectrum from the left to the middle,” he said. “I would like the Republican Party to cross this line, move a little further left and...

SACRAMENTO -- Reversing Gov. Gray Davis' near zero-tolerance policy against paroling convicted murderers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proven to be 50 times more likely to give second chances to killers. Democrat Davis, in his five years in office, blocked all but six parole recommendations for killers and kidnappers, with two of the recommendations involving the same inmate. Republican Schwarzenegger, in office less than 12 months, has approved 60 parole recommendations from the state Board of Prison Terms for convicts guilty of the most serious crimes. That makes him, on average, 50 times more lenient than Davis. But Schwarzenegger aides dispute...

Today’s question: Should the United States consider amending the Constitution so that foreign-born citizens such as Arnold Schwarzenegger can run for president? Yes 14.0% No 86.0% Total Votes: 57

Like him or not, as Americans we should all stand together to say NO to any change in the US Constitution that would allow foreign-born, naturalized citizens to run for and hold the highest office in this great land...Apparently a movement is underway to change the US Constitution. We must stand up to this and oppose it. Please sign the No2Arnold Petition

First lady Maria Shriver has backed off her earlier proposal to create a women's history museum in Sacramento and instead is proposing a more inclusive California State History Center. Trustees of the California State History Museum at 10th and O streets that would be transformed under Shriver's plan intend to hold a private teleconference board meeting at 10 a.m. today to consider her new idea.

Friday night, I was listening to AM 630, WMAL Talk Radio. They are the radio station in Washington, DC that has both Rush and Hannity. The local host at night is Chris Core. Most of the time, I get the feeling he really isn't as set in his opinions, as stated on the air. Last nigth was not an acception. He was arguing that the Constitution should be changed to allow naturalized citizens to become president of the United States. No one even brought up the one reason I will never support such a change. No matter how long a...

California’s Proposition 71, a $3 billion initiative to fund stem cell research, is a bad idea for a state currently in a budget crisis, says Wesley J. Smith of the Weekly Standard. Additionally, the initiative is fuzzy with few checks and balances. For one thing, the $3 billion would have to be borrowed, adding another $3 billion in interest onto its price tag. Moreover, the bill is simply vague and controversial, says Smith: Prop 71 is not merely a law to permit stem cell research, but a constitutional right to human cloning, meaning any changes to its terms and conditions...

Report: Schwarzenegger urges GOP left turn Saturday, December 18, 2004 Posted: 7:34 PM EST (0034 GMT) Arnold Schwarzenegger BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a German newspaper interview published Saturday that the Republican Party should move "a little to the left," a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters.

Report: Schwarzenegger suggests U.S. Republicans move leftward Associated Press BERLIN - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a German newspaper interview published Saturday that the Republican Party should move "a little to the left," a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters.Schwarzenegger, a Republican, has taken an unorthodox approach since winning office last year - standing by a promise to toe a conservative line of fiscal matters while veering left on social issues such as gay rights and the environment.In an interview with Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, Schwarzenegger said that "the Republican Party currently covers...

<p>Not really. Nor do we think Republicans Tom McClintock and Peter Ueberroth should get out of the race. At least not yet.</p> <p>Well, maybe Mr. Ueberroth should. His blandness and lack of energy will not do.</p> <p>The Democrats already have their Gray candidate. What's more, Mr. Ueberroth doesn't seem to be much more specific than Arnold Schwarzenegger, the frontrunner among Republicans currently in the race. But, then again, Mr. Ueberroth's nonpartisan pitch overrides his token Republicanism. For example, he's the only Republican in the race to oppose Proposition 187, the 1994 initiative barring state benefits to illegal aliens. Does this country-club Republican think he'll get Latino voters away from Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante? Indeed, in this crazy election, Mr. Ueberroth could end up with more Democrats and independent voters than Republicans.</p>