"Vote for me if you want to live"

[Kaff]

aaaaaand the people do! nice one Ahhnold. :D

[Clandestine]

And whilst the Republicans, hypnotised by glamour politics prove once again that they'd rather vote for gloss than substance, the state has lost.

Now California Republicans can proudly watch as Arnie and his recent best friend and backer, Ken Lay, sweep any possible indictment for Enron and up to 6 other energy utilities under the carpet putting an end to any possible recompense for the charge fraud perpetrated against the state and its residents to the tune of 9 billion dollars.

With a deficit of 38 billion to fix, obviously the cult of celebrity is more important to the state's electorate than seeing big corporate interests and their elitist protectors at the state and federal level held accountable.

Bravo California, landslide victory for Arnie, landslide hopes for a viable state recovery.

Ah the power of spin and corruption in my beloved nation.

How much pain must be endured before the unquestioning masses awaken to the manipulations of the elitest neo-con machine?

Congratulations! :rolleyes:

[Aladdin]

Considering that America's energy crisis is actually the fault of the energy companies and their best friends the Republicans, it's nothing short of astonishing that a Democrat should pay for it.

Let's see how long he lasts though. He's not particularly loved by the Republican Party anyway as he 'outrageously' believes that gay people should not be put to death or that abortion is a matter of choice.

Still, I keep getting the impression he’s a sandwich short of a picnic. After the pretty words die out he will need all the help he can get from advisers if he is to attempt to run office. But what sort of advice will he get?

[Clandestine]

Seems he's surrounded himself with the very senior figures that served Pete Wilson at the height of the State's job exodus that Arnie complained so bitterly about needing to fix during his campaign...

How obviously unscrutinising and easily gulled are republican voters apparently. But then many of them undoubtedly think there is no connection between California's economic woes and those exaccerbated by the vodoo economics of our irresponsible federal administration.

Ahh let the blindness roll on, countrymen. Be interesting to see who Republicans choose to blame for further downslides before they finally wake up and smell the duplicity of their own party.


It’s particularly outrageous that Schwarzenegger should complain of the exodus of jobs from the state, for he has hired the very policymakers under whom that exodus reached its height. The great years of mass migration out of California were 1993–96, when 1.6 million Californians moved to other states as aerospace collapsed. The governor during this mass flight was, of course, Pete Wilson, whose strategists and brain trusters now run Arnold’s campaign. It was hardly Wilson’s fault that the Cold War ended while he was governor of California, but for the Wilsonistas to blame Davis for job loss now — since it pales alongside the hits the state took when they were in control, and alongside the job-loss record that George W. Bush is racking up today — is industrial-strength chutzpah. The more so, since the Wilson gang blamed the last economic downturn on the immigrants among us.


http://www.laweekly.com/ink/03/43/powerlines-meyerson.php


But aside from all the noise, the question remains: Why is Arnold Schwarzenegger really running for governor? Sometimes a clearer view of the U. S. can be obtained from the foreign press. Greg Palast, United Kingdom reporter, offers some insight at GregPalast.com.

Mr. Palast stated: “The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay. Also frolicking with Arnold and Ken was convicted stock swindler Mike Milken.”

Mr. Palast based his statements on thirty-four pages of internal Enron memoranda that were faxed to him. He charges that Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to enter the campaign “to sabotage a Davis-Bustamante plan to make Enron and other power pirates then ravaging California pay back the $9 billion in illicit profits they carried off.”

A private lawsuit was filed last year under California's "Unfair Business Practices Act." This suit was a real threat to Ken Lay and the power lords. The plaintiff is Cruz Bustamante, Lieutenant Governor, and a leading candidate against Schwarzenegger.

The secret meeting was called only one month after the lawsuit was filed. You may have wondered why people from out of state were brought in and paid to collect signatures for the governor recall vote. The recall was no grassroots effort.

Governor Davis demanded that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order the $9 billion to be refunded. You may have notice that FERC is a little sluggish in taking any action. The head of FERC was proposed by, none other than, Ken Lay. Still, Enron and other energy companies feared the lawsuit.

Mr. Palast wrote “But Bush's boys on the commission have a problem. The evidence against the electricity barons is rock solid: fraudulent reporting of sales transactions, megawatt ‘laundering,’ fake power delivery scheduling and straight out conspiracy (including meetings in hotel rooms).

“So the Bush commissioners cook up a terrific scheme: charge the companies with conspiracy but offer them, behind closed doors, deals in which they have to pay only two cents on each dollar they filched.”

There would be no problems to contend with if the Governor of California just happened to be recalled. But if the governor were replaced by Cruz Bustamante, the energy companies might even be in even worse shape.

If Arnold is Governor, he can bless the sweetheart power companies settlements. This would almost certainly put a damper on the lawsuit by Mr. Bustamante.

Mr. Palast gave Arnold Schwarzenegger’s PR team a chance to respond to the memos, but they chose not to.


http://dukeemployees.com/deregulation6-03.shtml#circus

[xxauroraxx]

I don't think they realise what they've done. Like someone said, they have been taken in by glitz and glam and a campaign that wasn't based on policies designed to tackle their economic problems.

I like Arnie as an actor in action hero movies, but to elect him state governor seems to be, quite frankly, a piss take!

I am glad some of this Republican policies aren't quite as radical as the Republican party in general (as someone said his views on gays and abortion have been toned down) but who knows what he really believes and what he said to get elected? :crazyeyes

[my name]

I think the fact that it was such a short election had alot to do with why he got voted. Name reconition. If there was a longer campaign time, and others got their names and views out there, possibly (or hopefully, really) he would not have been elected.

[Dear Wendy]

Originally posted by Clandestine
And whilst the Republicans, hypnotised by glamour politics prove once again that they'd rather vote for gloss than substance, the state has lost.



I've read that the American voters can be divided into two solids and a "undefined". Which means that there are two about equal groups of democrat and republican voters, who no matter what will vote for the same party. The ones who actually make the difference are the "undefined". Therefore you'll have to conclude that it is a varied group of Americans and not only Republican voters who voted for Schwarzenegger.

Originally posted by xxauroraxx
I am glad some of this Republican policies aren't quite as radical as the Republican party in general (as someone said his views on gays and abortion have been toned down) but who knows what he really believes and what he said to get elected? :crazyeyes

Who knows what any politician believes? ;)
I haven't heard of any politician who has laid his/her cards completely out in the open. And either way, no one knows why he got elected as he has never really argumented for how he will get California out of the economical mess it is in. Just that he will do his best.

[Captain Slog]

I read some of his quotes in the Sun today: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003462057,00.html

For instance, On the environment: "Don't worry about that."

Well, I'm fucking worried, I don't know about anyone else.

[Bandito]

Ah the power of spin and corruption in my beloved nation.

Yes, it is true. Democrats have run the state of California in to the ground with their socialists programs and over taxation. The people of California have spoken, enough is enough.

What you fail to mention that Republicans seized in excess of 60% of the vote (Between Arnold and McClintock) in a heavily Democratic state. The conclusion would be that many Democrats deserted their own party.

Even the leftist rag the LA Times threw their weight behind a failed Governor and his policies by conducting a smear campaign against Arnold just days before the election. (Talk about spin!) The electorate of California rejected this for what it was, an attempt by the media to influence the outcome of an election.

For the record Clandestine, I would not have voted for Arnold myself. My conservative principles would have put me squarely behind McClintock.

[Bandito]

Mr. Palast stated: “The wannabe governor has yet to deny that on May 17, 2001, at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, he had consensual political intercourse with Enron chieftain Kenneth Lay.

You may want to do a little research on the Ken Lay - Bill Clinton connection. Bill was in bed with Ken in the Lincoln Bedroom of all places.....

[Bandito]

Considering that America's energy crisis is actually the fault of the energy companies

Enlighten me. Exactly what energy crisis is that?

Funny, I live in America and I am not aware of an energy crisis

[Kermit]

Originally posted by Bandito
Enlighten me. Exactly what energy crisis is that?

Funny, I live in America and I am not aware of an energy crisis

I suppose it depends on whetehr yout hink having New York and half of California blacked out for nearly a week is a crisis or not :rolleyes:

[Man Of Kent]

Arnie said today that his election means that he won't be making any films for some time.

So let me thank the voters of California. Perhaps this had something to do with the way they voted?

[xxauroraxx]

Originally posted by Bandito
Funny, I live in America and I am not aware of an energy crisis
Funny, that is the exact reason you won't be aware of any energy crisis. :rolleyes:

[Bandito]

I suppose it depends on whetehr yout hink having New York and half of California blacked out for nearly a week is a crisis or not

You may notice that I reserve comment on the national issues regarding the UK.

My knowledge of your nation’s internal matters is admittedly limited relative to an individual who lives there. I choose not to look like a fool speaking about matters I know little about.

Advice you would be wise to heed.

[morrocan roll]

surely arnoldeggandbaconburger is comic book politics!
bit like having frank bruno as chancelor of the exchequer in the uk?

[Hellfire]

in my eyes the usa have just let a dumb massive muscle man rule the most powerfull state in all of usa...

[morrocan roll]

Originally posted by Rude_boyz
in my eyes the usa have just let a dumb massive muscle man rule the most powerfull state in all of usa... well they don't seem to mind having an intelectual dwarf come born again drunk having top job ...

[Captain Slog]

Originally posted by morrocan roll
surely arnoldeggandbaconburger is comic book politics!
bit like having frank bruno as chancelor of the exchequer in the uk?
I think Frank as Mayor of London would be a better comparison. Arnie is governor of one state, not he chancellor of the entire country.

[Bandito]

Arnie is governor of one state, not he chancellor of the entire country.

Keep in mind that this one state, California, is the sixth largest economy in the world.