"Don't vorry; Hi vill protekt yoo!"
Posted on 07/25/2006 3:13:39 PM PDT by calcowgirl
LA MESA – Fielding hostile questions about illegal immigration in this Republican stronghold, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday denounced the ongoing congressional hearings on the topic as a stalling tactic.
“I think to go around the country and hold hearings like they're having right now I think is not the right way to go,” the governor told a crowd of several hundred people gathered for a campaign “town hall meeting” in Harry Griffen Park.
“I think the right way to go is to sit down and negotiate and come up with a decision. I think the people of America deserve that kind of action from the federal government.”
Angry audience members were plainly disatisfied with Schwarzenegger's repeated assertion that immigration is a federal issue and there's little he can do about it.
“Right now, I don't see much difference between you and (Democratic nominee) Phil Angelides,” said a woman who identified herself only as Sally. She later declined to give her last name, saying she feared “repercussions” because of her involvement with the Minutemen border watch group.
“I think I understand your frustration,” the governor said. “And we're going to do everything that we can to secure the border, even though it's a federal issue. It's not a state issue, it's a federal issue.”
Schwarzenegger made it clear he favors a middle-ground approach to immigration along the lines of the bill passed by the Senate, as opposed to the House bill that focuses exclusively on enforcement.
Congress, he said, should “find a way so that certain people who have been here long enough can stay here and other people have to go back and then get a visa to come back here.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/15119561.htm
Jul. 25, 2006
Schwarzenegger gets earful on immigration, crime
Kate Folmar
Mercury News
LA MESA - A heavily Republican crowd grilled Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during a campaign appearance in Southern California Tuesday, barraging him with questions about immigration and crime.
A cane-carrying woman who identified herself as only Kelly addressed the governor first. She complained about police officers who "battered me to a pulp." Schwarzenegger listened attentively and said he would look into it.
"Come on up here. I will protect you. Trust me. I will protect you," the governor told Kelly. "It will never happen again. Give me a hug, give me a hug, everything will be ok."
A teenager told the governor he was attacked by a group of men and had concerns about gang violence. The governor praised the boy for trying to avoid violence.
Things went downhill fast from there. Schwarzenegger told his first questioner on immigration that the federal government is responsible for securing the borders and should do a better job of it. And businesses should be able to hire immigrants when they have exhausted attempts to hire native-born employees.
(snip)
National Guard members are at the border. He "can totally understand your frustration about the immigration" because the federal government has done a "terrible job" on immigration.
"I'm going to try to represent you as well as possible and I will make sure that you have confidence in me so that you will vote for me."
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-072506arnold,0,1979694.story?track=mostviewed-homepage
Schwarzenegger Bus Tour Hits Bump
Robert Salladay
Los Angeles Times
July 25, 2006
A campaign appearance by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today quickly turned into a bitter complaint session, with conservative voters visibly angry at him over illegal immigration and the parole of convicted murderers.
The San Diego County event, at a community park, was tightly controlled by Schwarzenegger campaign aides. But some members of the invited audience turned on the governor, while others alternately booed and cheered some tense exchanges.
(snip)
Brad Boswell, an insurance agent and longtime Republican, told the governor he was alarmed to read newspaper accounts saying Schwarzenegger has paroled nearly 100 murderers from prison. He said he also disliked the governor's proposed prison overhaul that would allow 4,500 female prisoners to be relocated to community detention centers.
"Why do you want to put those people back in our community?" Boswell said. "I am very, very concerned about your record on crime," he said, likening the governor to former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, a Democrat who was lambasted by Republicans during his 1988 presidential run for paroling convicted killer Willie Horton.
Afterward, Boswell said he would vote for another conservative candidate on the ballot. "I'm not supporting this guy," he said.
Schwarzenegger responded to Boswell's question by saying he was tough on crime and supports a ballot initiative in November to toughen penalties for child molesters. He said the current prison system doesn't work, and needs innovative solutions.
(snip)
Illegal immigration also came up again...
Schwarzenegger responded: "I think its very, very important to never get mad at anyone who is trying to come to this country. . . . I know that people want to come from the south, people that are living in misery. They try to come. I did the same thing when I was in Austria. All I wanted was to come to California."
mmmmm and what have you done to curb illegal immigration into California Arnold? Oh that's right, you want to give them more free benefits!
Tell me why you are better than a Democrat again?
ping
"Don't vorry; Hi vill protekt yoo!"
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