Posted on 01/17/2007 10:05:19 AM PST by ElkGroveDan
A lame-duck governor morphs into a Bill Clinton-Phil Angelides composite on policy and rhetoric.
“That depends what the definition of ‘is’ is.”
— Soon-to-be-disbarred William Clinton, speaking to the Lewinsky grand jury and showing that weasels know well how to use weasel words.
Of the many indignities Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has inflicted of late on common sense and fundamental Republican principals, his support for the long-held socialist dream of state-run health insurance is perhaps the worst. As if his support for this deformed monster of public policy weren’t enough, he adds the insult of hiding behind weasel words as shamelessly, and ham-handedly, as Bill Clinton, insisting that what clearly are taxes are not.
His insistance that a levy based on a percent of income — applied to doctors and hospitals in his proposed health policy plan — is not a tax (who knew that every April 15 we paid an “income fee”?) presumes that most California Republicans are idiots or English-as-a-second-language students or that they don’t pay attention to what’s going on in Sacramento.
As George Skelton pointed out in the Los Angeles Times, you don’t have to use the Wayback Machine to visit the mists of ancient history to discover when the governor believed exactly the opposite of what he is now saying. In fact you only have to go back a few months to his re-election campaign.
Phil Angelides, the corpse that masqueraded as Democrat nominee for governor, had proposed a mandatory, state-run health insurance plan that in many important respects is identical to what Schwarzenegger is trying to force upon Californians. Way back when, back in the day when the governor needed Republican votes, he had no trouble calling what was plainly a tax increase a tax increase. In fact he was positively alarmed at the prospect.
These taxes, he said, “would drive California’s economy backward.” But apparently only Angelides mandatory health insurance tax increases would do that. According to the governor, his mandatory health insurance tax increases are vital to moving the state forward — toward a post-partisan nirvana.
But wait — there’s more! Speaking to the Republican state convention last September he specifically attacked the Angelides health insurance proposal as part of an overall Angelides message of “more taxes.” He followed that up with this rhetorical red meat: “We say no to more taxes. No to more government spending. No to more government control.”
One wonders whom he meant by “we,” a group clearly no longer including himself. His first two speeches of 2007 — his inaugural and state of the state — became an orgy of calls for more taxes, more government spending, more government control.
Regarding taxes, the governor has two reasons to do his version of spinning the meaning of “is.” One: his “no new taxes” pledge is about the last tether he has to any even vaguely Republican idea or philosophical point. Another is that legislation involving taxes requires two-thirds support in the Legislature. That means it won’t pass without GOP votes, giving Republicans some bargaining power.
On point one, he’s apparently been feeling heat from his recent abandonment of GOP ideas and philosophy and doesn’t want to inflame that wound at the moment. (His gratuitous state of the state slap at President Bush on global warming raised Republican hackles. A sure sign Schwarzenegger thought fence mending was in order was his subsequent transparently self-serving declaration that he supported President Bush’s “troop surge” in Iraq.)
Gee swell governor. That and $1.50 will get us a small coffee at Starbucks. I await release to the media of the transcripts of the calls to your pals Sen.s Feinstein and Boxer urging them to vote for the additional troops. Fact is your comment cost you nothing and will have no effect. But your “post-partisan” march in lockstep with Democrats toward more state control in every aspect of our lives will sap our freedoms for years to come. Somehow that just doesn’t seem like a fair trade.
On the second point, empowering legislative Republicans would appear to be precisely what this governor wants not to do. Having Republican ideas as a serious part of discussions puts the kibosh on deals he can make with Democrats. Having tasted Schwarzenegger “bipartisanship” last year (a freeze-out of Republicans and their ideas), Democrats have no intention of giving back ground they rightfully consider conceded to them already.
The governor can insist that the sun rises in the west. It does not. He can insist that levies based on a percentage of income are not taxes. They are. Baloney is baloney, no matter what the meaning of “is” is.
ping
All liberals suffer from the same self-declared reality. They create their own reality -- this is a fine case -- taxes are not taxes. California has set a record of debt unseen in U.S. state-level history. Thanks Gub. Again, the Repubs vote for a "Republican" and get ANOTHER LIBERAL.
The gov hasn't "morphed" into anything. He's the same he's always been.
I can't imagine why anyone would think Maria Shriver would marry a true Republican, much less a conservative. And what's the chance of someone being conservative in Hollyweird, anyway?
I am so grateful not to be in CA; it's on a sure course towards disaster.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
FO, you are going to get this post every time one of these articles comes up until you explain your support for the higher taxes this dishonest fascist you so adore is inflicting on this State.
Angelides then launched into a impassioned description of his own plan, which includes expanding health care to all children, cutting the profit margin for HMOs, requiring large companies to provide insurance for employees and then bringing "business leaders, consumers and health experts together to move California toward universal health care." Source
But note the large difference between Arnold and Angelides.
This socialized medicine bill could destroy CA on its own. Source
Oh please FareOpinion, explain for us this "large difference between Arnold and Angelides."
Please? We know you can do it.
Heh, heh. Good catch. I knew that stuff was out there. Good of you to dig it up for us all.
Minor correction.
you don’t have to use the Wayback Machine to visit the mists of ancient history to discover when the governor said he believed exactly the opposite of what he is now saying.It is questionable that he ever believed most of the things his speechwriters added to his scripts. They have been nothing more than marketing promotions of Arnold.
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Disagree there. An actor's craft absolutely depends upon the ability to believe what one is saying at the time... and then drop those beliefs and adopt a completely different set for the next role.
It's an acquired talent, similar to telling women what they want to hear.
Baloney is baloney, no matter how intensely you parse it like another Bill Clinton, Schwartzenegger!!! Americans, and especially Cauleeforneeuns, are extremely patient and long-suffering with most politicians. Even more so if they have a little charisma, charm and the ready ability to admit mistakes and say they're sorry enough, for awhile.
But like Winston Churchill once said... "Americans usually end up doing the right thing, after they've tried ALL the alternatives!" (emphasis added)
And nearly identical to the way far too many lawyers practice law!!! It was sure interesting to listen to Rush talking about the "Boston Legal" TV show and the faux CONservative "Denny Crane" character, today!
Sorry about the redundant linkage of your reply on the other thread before reading this thread... oh well... can't be said too much IMO!!!
So true!
The writer poses an interesting question: Why doesn't the governor stand with the California Republican Party?
Three possible answers:
1) He's not a Republican.
2) He exercises everything but his brain.
3) He thinks he's ruler of France.
Before our very eyes, the Austrian is morphing into our worst nightmare. Left free to proceed with his socialist/communistic agenda, he will eventually take the state down. I suggest we recall him first.
The Austrian really didn't need 25 months to do that. For me, he hit the outrage part of the scale in about three months.
I don't know why it took some of us so long. ;-)
For ElkGroveDan, it was T minus 13 (days).
I think C.O. was there in T minus 5.
For me, it was adopting the Davis borrowing scheme, on steroids (T+53).
SW made it almost a year, until the SNC!
11/04/2003 Schwarzenegger Names Bonnie Reiss as Senior Advisor to Governor 11/12/2003 Schwarzenegger Appoints Sunne Wright McPeak as Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary 11/12/2003 Schwarzenegger Announces Three EPA Appointments [Tamminen, Branham, Gorsen] 11/14/2003 Schwarzenegger Appoints S. Kimberly Belshé as Health and Human Services Secretary 11/17/2003 Schwarzenegger Sworn-in As The 38th Governor of California 01/09/2004 Schwarzenegger Presents Responsible Budget, Outlining Recovery Plan For State [Borrow, borrow, borrow] 09/23/2004 Schwarzenegger Signs Historic Legislation Creating Sierra Nevada Conservancy
I can just see it now:
calcowgirl:"It appears that when ElkGroveDan was 13 he was detained by police for hanging toilet paper all over a neighbor's house (see the Northridge News for Jun 12, 1974)
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