Schwarzenegger Announces : Running for CA Gov.

Issa can think of plenty of reasons to become governor. His becoming governor would be a great boon to his buddies.

Check out this link showing Issa's past campaign contributions. Click on the Energy and Natural Resources line, then click on Oil & Gas. Lo and behold, guess what name pops up.... Halliburton Co. In other categories you'll find WorldCom, Lockheed, BAE Systems, National Rifle Association, etc. etc.

...and then of course, there's that (what Butrfly said). And a place-holding position for your party...

One of the rules in business recommends you take leadership of companies
that are in rotten condition, because it's a gaurenteed win for you.

1) If your random mucking makes the company better, everyone will give you credit for the improvement.
2) Great room for improvement means great recognition is possible.
3) After a bad manager, improvements are probably easier than usual. You won't have to try very hard to be better.
4) And if the company continues to go downhill, you can always blame the impossible situation, that you took on too much.
5) There is a lot of sympathy going to support you.

Great reward. Little risk.
Lots of hard work, but that can always be mitigated by padding your "crushing" schedule with golf.


The governor of California doesn't have to know the issues.
He just has to attract good people who know the issues.
It *is* a figure-head job, an acting job, dealing with all the attention
while the team puts it together.

I'd rather work for SCHWARZENEGGAR than some generic guy named Davis.
I think he could attract some good people, just because it's a big ride,
one for the history books, and front page every week.

I don't see Arnold as political material - Then again, I barely regard Bush as a person, and he's president.

Arnold, Ariana, Porn stars and Election-buying politicians; Was it the November 2000's deadlock thing that tottered us into this bizzare parallel universe of politics?

At what point is it too late for Davis to resign, hand over the reigns to the LT.Governor, and end this spectacle?

I thought Riordan of LA was also going to run? He's the one the WH made a mistake with, when they went with Simon instead.

I don't have a feeling one way or another about this, but all my California relatives seem to be united against Arnold. Apparently, he's not that popular everywhere. And reading interesting background on Issa. Ward Connerly, the LA conservative, with big political ambitions of his own, helped set this up for Issa, it seems.

Politics. Endlessly fascinating.

i'm interested to hear the opinions of those living in cali as i've made a decision to move from the wrong coast to the right coast this fall...i have no idea about the man's politics other than he has money and the kennedy connection which is worth about as much as a fiddlers fart in the long run,,, i don't want to be jumping from the frying pan into the fire if i don't have to economy wise or any other way if i can help it.

will he ban ashcroft from setting foot in the state forever?

If you don't want to jump into the fire in regard to the economy, California is the very last place you should consider moving to. The dismal economy, budget cuts, tax increases, and poor employment opportunities are the reasons the Issas and Schwarzeneggers found an opportunity to exploit.

Don't come to California to strike it rich. The Gold Rush is over and the Technology Rush is still on life support.


~a native Californian

A little bit of satire:

Schwarzenegger: "I'll make Bush seem like Mother Teresa"

Poster Child for Violence in the Media Vows Reign of Terror and Idiocy Beyond What President Delivers

LOS ANGELES - California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed today at a press conference to kill both those who vote for him and those who don't equally.

"I em unt outsider. I vill kill any person I feel like when I am Fuhrer... I mean, Governor, of the Great State of Hollywood," said the action movie star.

His wife Maria Shriver, of the all-powerful Kennedy/Shriver clan, agreed. "He made his name by killing, killing, killing, so if he's elected, he knows enough to stick with what got him there."

Asked what he would do if presented with the current sagging California economy, Schwarzenegger replied, "I vould morph into a naked robot man, unt then kill lots of the people in the ammediate area. Then I vould say cute phrases in Hispanish, like, "Hasta'll be back vista -- that will get me the darker skin vote, also."

The violent action superstar stated that he will bring a "New moronity" to the office of Governor.

"New morality," wife Maria corrected.

"Yah, dat, too. The new morolity. I remomber my roots. Unt so all the children vill have to learn to kill with the sword, like Conan, before they get to take the class to learn the Uzi killing."

"He means he has a great plan for reforming the schools... the, uh, education system," clarified Shriver, dabbing a bit of sweat from her forehead.

"Look," said Arnold, his famous smile showing with a deep laugh, "she ist sweating. Dat means she ist not a robot. Maria, you are not da Terminator."

Appearing to roll her eyes, as if slightly disgusted, the wife of the frequent killer and relative of the frequently killed replied, "Yes, Arnold dear. I am not da Terminator."

"Dat's right, you are my Terminatina." He then put one of his massive trigger-happy arms around her and gave her kiss on the cheek, which she appeared to wipe off the second he looked back out to the press-filled room.

"Any more questions?" he asked, a big grin on his face.

A reporter pressed Schwarzenegger on the carpetbagger issue. "Exactly how long have you been a resident of California now? Isn't it true you don't really live here but just own a residence for the benefit of your movie career?"

Arnold replied furiously. "No! This ist not ze truth. I have had the plan for many years to occupy California. Ever since I first saw it I knew I vanted to occupy it. Unt now, I will begin the true occupation. And also the killing."

Pressed on his stances on environmental issues, Arnold said, "Don't vorry, I vill be sure to purify the state. Anything impure vill be cleansed from the state of California."

After that comment, no other reporter could manage to raise their hand.

"Vat are you, a bunch of sissy boys? Ask me something!" He then pulled out an apparent Uzi submachine gun that had been hidden under his suit jacket and aimed it at the reporters.

"Come on, ask me za more questions!" When no one spoke, Arnold open-fired on the stunned, and now wet-pantsed, group. Then he started laughing. "It was just unt joke - there are no bullets unt the uzi... today. But just vait until the election. I'll be back."

Arnold continued to laugh loudly, as everyone else, including his wife, snuck slowly and cautiously out the various exits of the room.

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v1i1news1.htm

Funny thing, I think that he's gonna win.

A sign of the impending apocalypse, if so.

It is already common knowledge that Arnold Schwarzenegger is recorded on the video "Pumping Iron" (1977) smoking marijuana. On the video, by his own admission (as reported by MSNBC), he also makes up a fake story about the circumstances of his father's death, stooping to whatever level necessary to gain the weight lifting title he is competing for. He allegedly consumed large quantities of steroids before it was even fashionable to do so.

Well, those things seem to be the tame side of The Terminator.

Arnold hosted a video entitled "Carnival in Rio", a documentary shot in 1983 -- six years after he had started dating his wife Maria Shriver. According to the Brazilian magazine Istoé, he "tore his costume in the middle of a group of naked women and, with one of them; he tried to place a carrot between her butt cheeks."

Don't believe it? Well, why not purchase a copy of the still-available video and see for yourself? You can see more about the video and purchase it online here.

I'm going to give the voters of California more credit than anyone else seems to be doing, as far as I can tell.

This clown doesn't win. You heard it here first.

What experience does Arnold bring to the table? Balancing his own checkbook, perhaps? I doubt he even does that. Unfortunately, California now needs a bean counter as governor and not someone running on image. Across the country, states are raising taxes, eating up any tax cut offered by the Bush Administration. Whether each state is taxing the very wealthy or taxing the middle class is difficult to determine. The State of New York passed a record tax increase, some of that because of 9/11 but most of it was the handling of fiscal responsibility from the past. Arnold earns countless millions from his movies -- unless he is a complete fool, he isn't losing any money. The proportion of how much he earns as to how much he spends is hardly in comparison to the financial fix California finds itself in. Davis' Exxon connection and the fact that he didn't acknowledge and do something about the energy crises long before his too little, too late actions is sinking him fast.
I agree with Phoenix, that the mentality of the California voter could make Arnold a shoo-in, especially with all those on the ballot. But with a huge Latino vote in Central and Southern California, Bustamante is the one to beat.

BTW, I hear the rumor that Ringling Bros, Barnum and Bailey will be administering this election.

Gary Coleman and Gallagher are in.

Too funny.

PDiddie -- considering that those indiscretions don't seem to be as important to voters, especially California voters, that could be a mistake to focus on them. The press may not be able to keep hands off and I think Arnold has left himself exposed (sic) to the National Inquirer type of news reporting. I could see Ronald Reagan making it, but someone who's shown their butt in wide screen? Ridiculous.

BTW, the plus I see in my book is that Arnold is very liberal about social issues making him a moderate Republican or what could be referred to as a conservative Democrat. His direction may come from a philosophical standpoint. Whether he can weather the storm on the womanizing, etc., remains to be seen. I think Grey Davis has written himself off with two in his own administration now running.

Yep-- Davis should be packing.

On Fox, they called Arnold a liberal Republican. I think that's what I am, if had to pick a label. I think the Log Cabins and a few others could fit in this category as well. Mostly fiscally conservative, defense minded, and socially liberal.

He'll be a great poster boy for recruiting new liberal Republicans.

He could garner a lot of the Latino vote as well which would sever Bustamante's chances. Maria Shriver is a Liberal Democrat, BTW.

Yep.

Wonder if Maria will get a lot of flack for working on his campaign.

Jackie O was from an seriously conservative Republican family, but was apolitical herself and did an extraordinary job on her husband's campaign. Wonder how much energy Maria will put into it.

At least, on many issues, they agree.

You know, Howard Dean espouses more than a few Republican policies. It's getting to be more and more difficult where to draw the Democrat/Republican line. It seems to be boiling down to defense spending and pro- or anti-business. And, Dean is on the conservative side with both of those.

Hillary and Bill, and Dean, are likely to come to California in support of Davis. Our taxes and energy cost have gone up, wiping out the Bush tax cuts plus some for the common taxpayer. This is government's MO -- slip you some cash to buy votes then pickpocket you when they think you're not looking.