Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Categories: California Republicans | Austrian-Americans

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor, California

Party	Republican
In Office November 17, 2003 —present
Preceded by	Gray Davis
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Birthday	July 30, 1947 —
Spouse	Maria Shriver
Religion	Roman Catholic

Arnold Schwarzenegger is actually the Governor of California, a fact that would surprise and probably alarm anyone awakening from coma entered in a period when Schwarzenegger was merely a action/comedic Hollywood actor. Schwarzenegger was elected on October 7, 2003, after the defeat of former governor Democrat Gray Davis in a recall election that seemed a fit of populist irresponsibility. Since then the Austro-American body builder cum politician has demonstrated a talent for political opportunism and ideological inconsistency that embarrasses even members of his own Republican Party.

The "Governator" is now widely reviled in his native Austria. Early on December 26, 2005 his name was quietly removed from the stadium in the southern Austrian city of Graz because of his refusal to block the December 13, 2005 execution by the State of California of Stanley Tookie Williams. The stadium had been named in his honor in 1999. Capital punishment was abolished in Austria as barbaric. Schwarzenegger was born in 1947 in the village of Thal near Graz. He immigrated to the United States in 1968, bceoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1984. However Schwarzenegger has retained his Austrian citizenship. Perhaps he could be given back to the Austrians at some point?

1 Dirt
2 Global warming
3 Affiliations
4 Related articles
5 References
6 External Links
7 Diaries
8 More information

Dirt

Arnold met secretly with Ken Lay on May 24th, 2001, shortly before the Enron price gouging of California. At the meeting Ken Lay handed out plans that included an end to "countless investigations into allegations that suppliers manipulated power prices."[1]

Arnold had a tabloid publisher pay $20,000 to Gigi Goyette to keep quiet about the fact that Arnold had sex with her when she was 16 and he was 28.

Arnold discussed the ethnicity of Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, the sole Latina Republican in the state legislature in the folowing language: "I mean, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it." Source: Robert Salladay. "Gov.'s Candid Moments Caught on Audiotape: Schwarzenegger's Banter With Aides Offers Glimpse of Bull Session Behind Closed Doors." Los Angeles Times. September 8, 2007. Article On September 8, 2004, Arnold apologized for the comments.

During the only debate he partipated in during the 2003 recall election, Arnold promised he wouldn't cut education. He promptly cut the UC budget upon taking office.

Arnold had crews dig up a pothole at taxpayer expense just so that he could fill it in for a photo op.

Arnold campaigned in Ohio, the critical swing state, for Bush right before the 2004 election.

Arnold accepted $8 million for "consulting" from a magazine while governor.

Arnold had been driving with a motercycle license for years. He was in an accident in January 2006, where he wasn't charged, even though he had no license. He didn't get a license until July 2006. [2]

Arnold used taxpayer money to spy on liberal groups.

Arnold vetoed the gay marriage bill passed by activist legislators trying to legislate from the legislature, and said that gay marriage should be up to the courts.

Arnold is running as a moderate but he withdrew 4 of his own nominees to the CalSTRS board after they voted against his plan to privatize teachers pension plans. One of the appointees, Republican Jim Grey, said, "If you have to be in lock step, I guess I shouldn’t be one of his appointees." [3]

Arnold with Bill O'Reilly[4]: O'REILLY: It just threw me, because I know you've been a big environmental guy, and then you're driving around with the Hummer that gets one mile to a gallon—I'm going what's that all about.

SCHWARZENEGGER: No, no, no. Mine gets 14 miles to the gallon.

O'REILLY: Fourteen. But still, that's not great. You know what I'm talking about.

SCHWARZENEGGER: You're absolutely right.

Global warming

Arnold claims to care about global warming.

However, he opposes Prop. 87, which is supported by Angelides. Al Gore ran his first TV ad in 6 years in support.

The media reported heavily on a global warming / greenhouse emissions law passed by the Democratic legislature and signed by Arnold. However, now that the photo ops are over, he has greatly weakened the law through executive orders. Diary

From SF Gate article[5]: "In the past year alone, the governor's California Recovery Team collected $500,000 apiece from independent oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens and Vail Drilling Co., plus $250,000 from Chevron Corp. and $50,000 from Shell Oil. Chevron has also given $44,600 to Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign since November."