Posted on 07/25/2006 8:35:53 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign bus tour hit a pot hole on its very first stop: a town hall meeting Tuesday at which the governor was heckled by people upset with his position on illegal immigration.
The hot-button issue was a theme of a day on which Schwarzenegger emphatically distanced himself from a 1994 ballot proposition, saying "I was wrong" to support a measure that sought to deny illegal immigrants many government services.
His day began in the San Diego County community of La Mesa, where about 150 people attended a campaign event.
Among them was Sally Plata, a 66-year-old retiree from El Cajon and a Minuteman civilian patrol member who expressed frustration about the porous U.S.-Mexico border.
"I voted for you. And right now I don't see much difference between you and Phil Angelides," said Plata, referring to Schwarzenegger's Democratic opponent in the November election.
Schwarzenegger smiled throughout the sometimes heated questioning. At one point, as audience members grumbled loudly at his comments, Schwarzenegger asked them to quiet down so he could finish.
"Never get mad at anyone who is trying to come to this country. Get mad at the federal government which is not securing our borders," Schwarzenegger told the crowd.
Afterward, Schwarzenegger told reporters he was troubled by some of the comments and surprised by their tone.
"It was pretty much the first time I saw the intensity of prejudice," said Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself. "This one woman came up to me and said, 'Stop the invasion.' It was that kind of dialogue, and not, 'Hey, is there something we can do about immigration?' And I think that's going into a dangerous area."
Immigration is shaping up as a major campaign issue this fall, just as it was in the 1994 gubernatorial race.
Republican Pete Wilson won that race after embracing Proposition 187, which called for denying illegal immigrants many government services. The initiative passed handily but later was tossed out by the courts. It also moved many Hispanic voters to the Democratic camp.
Schwarzenegger has acknowledged supporting Proposition 187 and suggested he came to regret that vote after working with the children of illegal immigrants in after-school programs before being elected governor.
"I could be criticized for flip-flopping, but better to say I was wrong than to hold onto something that isn't my view," Schwarzenegger told reporters on his campaign bus.
The governor addressed the issue a day after he told La Opinion, a Los Angeles-based Spanish language newspaper, that "looking back, it was the wrong decision" to support the ballot measure.
Angelides, the state treasurer, seized on the governor's comments, accusing Schwarzenegger of pandering to Hispanics.
"He will do anything and say anything to get re-elected," Angelides charged.
Congress is wrestling with immigration reform and Schwarzenegger has split with many in the Republican Party - particularly in the House of Representatives - who favor a get-tough approach to illegal immigrants. His thinking is closer to that of President Bush, who has called for better border security, a guest worker program to ensure businesses have the workers they need and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for a significant period and not broken the law.
Schwarzenegger has long faulted the federal government for lax border security and praised efforts by the Minutemen to fill the gap. California has more illegal immigrants than any other state - an estimated 2.4 million.
Angelides also has called for increased border enforcement and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for a long time.
After the La Mesa appearance, Schwarzenegger got a friendlier reception in Temecula, meeting with diners at Sweet Lumpy's BBQ, a saloon-style restaurant peppered with American flags. A cheering crowd greeted the governor, who spoke briefly before heading back on the bus to events in Corona and Rancho Cucamonga.
As the governor was leaving the Temecula event, however, an opponent of illegal immigration chanted, "Secure our borders."
The bus tour continues Wednesday with stops in and around Los Angeles.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger puts his arm around a woman who confronted him during his campaign bus tour Tuesday, July 25, 2006, in La Mesa, Calif. The woman would only identify herself as Kelly. (AP Photo/Chris Park)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks at a park in La Mesa, Calif., as he begins a campaign bus tour of Southern California, Tuesday, July 25, 2006. (AP Photo/Chris Park)
I got an earful today already.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672055/posts
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Supporting Prop. 187 was an error
La Opinion ^ | 7/25/06 | La Opinion interview
Posted on 07/25/2006 12:47:33 PM PDT by lonewacko_dot_com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672139/posts
Schwarznegger: Congress stalling on immigration issues (Comments from today's bus tour)
San Diego Union Tribune ^ | July 25, 2006 | John Marelius
Posted on 07/25/2006 3:13:39 PM PDT by calcowgirl
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1672213/posts
CA: Schwarzenegger gets earful on immigration, crime
Mercury News ^ | 7/25/06 | Kate Folmar
Posted on 07/25/2006 5:06:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
i wanted arnold to win just to get davis out. he is still a rino and always be.the majority of conservative got the hell out of that state when prop 187 was struck down by a lib judge. too bad lot of neat things in calif.
Frosty reception for the man who played MR. Freeze in the Batman movies? No surprise there.
No, Kerry is just a giggolo : )
I was in L A for 30 years. Left 4 months ago for Scottsdale.
Actually, I would think the blame is on the voters and the CA GOP.
We didn't leave the state. The state left us. :^)
Oh, Kalispell, Montana, 2 years this month.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.