Schwarzenegger May Not Be Back to Hometown

SFGate.com ^ | December 27, 2005 | GEORGE JAHN

[bulldozer]

"I'll be back." That pledge from the Terminator traditionally has had special meaning in Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown.

But now — after the California governor refused to spare two convicted murderers in a row from their death sentences and showed no signs of relenting in another case up next month — the romance is over between Schwarzenegger and Graz, Austria's second-largest city.

Acting on Schwarzenegger's orders two weeks after the Dec. 13 execution of former Crips gang leader Stanley Tookie Williams, city leaders Tuesday deleted all references to the bodybuilder-turned-governor on Web sites linked to Graz. Over the weekend, they also stripped his name from the city's soccer stadium.

And "Arnie," as he is known in the city of his youth, also sent back Graz' highest award — its ring of honor — as part of moves provoked by city council threats to rename the stadium because of his support for the death penalty.

[bulldozer]

70% of Americans are for the death penalty, so Arnold doesn't have to dance the Austrian fiddle.

[Brilliant]

I say ship all our death row inmates to Austria, and let them deal with them.

[RockinRight]

Sickening what Europe has become. A pantywaisted waste of land.

[Feiny]

Graz is full of girly men anyways.

[bubman]

hear hear!!

[RTINSC]

When visiting Graz, be sure to visit Tookie Stadium..

[No Blue States]

Kurt Marnul, a former "Mr. Austria" who put the first set of weights on the young Arnie's shoulders and still works out in a gym plastered with hundreds of pictures showing him with Schwarzenegger, accused Graz politicians of "stabbing Arnie in the back."

"More than 70 percent of Americans are for the death penalty," said Marnul, 75. "This issue is none of Austria's business."

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No joke, who gives a crap about Austria or any other country in western Europe? Funny how these Euro-fags will sell Saddam Hussein weapons to help him kill over 1 million of his citizens but they won't assist the new Iraqi government in counting and documenting those same dead bodies scattered through the countryside because they have a death penalty for certain crimes. Europe is schizophrenic. That whole continent deserves to fall in the ocean.

[Antonello]

You've got to give Arnie credit. Instead of simpering and apologizing, he instead basically told them to shove their ring up their stadium.

[Amerigomag]

These strange events are political but California's imposition of a death sentence for capital crimes is only a ancillary matter. At the heart of this otherwise seemingly bizarre episode is the legality of the governor's reacquisition of his Austrian citizenship a few years ago and its implications on the veracity his US citizenship application fifteen years earlier.

[traumer]

[DogBarkTree]

No worries, Arnie. For every fan you lost in Girlie Land Europe you made 10 more in your adopted country.

[IntheHillsGolden]

"When visiting Graz, be sure to visit Tookie Stadium.."

LOL.........makes me wonder where I'll put Graz on my list of 'must sees'. Haaha....somewhere between the 'bottom' and 'never'.

Dummkopfs.

[IntheHillsGolden]

PS.........proud to have Arny as our Governator.

[dfwgator]

When visiting Graz, be sure to visit Tookie Stadium..

Right next to the Hitler Arena on Kurt Waldheim Strasse.

[OldFriend]

It's Austria, after all.

[newzjunkey]

Your fiction of "Reaquisition" appears false. He retained his Austrian citizenship irrespective of his becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen which is not uncommon. After the execution before Tookie, the Green Party in Austria attempted to have his citizenship revoked in addition to renaming the stadium. After Tookie they were obviously successful with the stadium in Graz but it's unclear if his citizenship will be revoked. This USA Today piece points out even a Nazi war criminal was not stripped of his citizenship.

In light of the international furor over Tookie and Arnold's unwillingness to be swayed from carrying out his duty as CA governor, I really don't think we need to wonder where Schwarzenegger's loyalties are. I look forward to reelecting him next November over the Democrat candidate be it Westly or Angelides.

[AgThorn]

After the execution before Tookie, the Green Party in Austria attempted to have his citizenship revoked in addition to renaming the stadium. After Tookie they were obviously successful with the stadium in Graz but it's unclear if his citizenship will be revoked.

CORRECTION: They were NOT successful. Arnie removed his name from being used so that any threats to do so would have no further publicity. Big difference.

[Jeff Chandler]

the California governor refused to spare two convicted murderers in a row from their death sentences and showed no signs of relenting in another case up next month

Business is brisk in the Enchanted Tookie Room.

[righttackle44]

". . . I really don't think we need to wonder where Schwarzenegger's loyalties are. I look forward to reelecting him next November over the Democrat candidate be it Westly or Angelides."

I live in Phoenix. I don't have much money, but I'll be donating to his re-election campaign.