Posted on 03/21/2007 6:01:35 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
That was Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's message to conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh during a spirited, but largely predictable, 15 minute on-air discussion this morning.
For those who haven't breathlessly followed how we got here: in an NBC interview this week, Schwarzenegger was asked about criticism from conservatives like Limbaugh. The governor called Limbaugh "irrelevant." Limbaugh later fired back, calling Schwarzenegger a "sellout".
This morning, the governor...extending the shelf life of this story... spent 15 minutes on Limbaugh's show engaging in a verbal jousting match that seemed to end in a draw.
Schwarzenegger began by trying to squelch talk of a fight, explaining that as governor he has to seek compromise, even with those he disagrees with.
"When you have a radio show," said the governor, "your objective is different than mine." Later, he added: "It's not selling out. It's doing the work of the people."
But when the talk turned to issues, it was clear that the two men weren't going to get anywhere. Take the governor's decision late last year to sign a bill boosting the minimum wage. Schwarzenegger agreed to a $1 hike, but also rejected a mechanism that would have allowed automatic wage increases in the future.
Limbaugh was unimpressed, arguing the increase itself was the problem. "You compromised on the price, but you still accepted the premise," he told the governor.
Schwarzenegger shot back: "I think those things [minimum wage] do improve people's lives."
From there, they debated the governor's health care reform plan, where Schwarzenegger used his now familiar defense of the proposed tax/fee increase for businesses. That defense focuses on what he calls the "hidden tax" of costs for the uninsured being added to the costs for everyone else.
Limbaugh dismissed such differentiations, telling Schwarzenegger that a "hidden tax, or a visible tax, is still a tax."
There also seemed to be a subtle air of one-upsmanship during the interview. Limbaugh, in a very matter-of-fact- tone, proclaimed that the governor's base is unhappy with his performance. "They see a lot of about-faces," he said.
Not to be outdone, Schwarzenegger reminded the talk show host that 91% of California Republicans voted last November to give him a second term in office. And he dismissed any notion that GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill are a good role model, saying that they are "fighting over nothing" in Washington.
In the end, though, it all was hugs and kisses. "I've always liked you," gushed Limbaugh. "We're going to smoke a stogie together," said Schwarzenegger.
[update 12:05pm - Further deeming this a non-story story, the governor told a reporter during a Fresno event at midday that even though he was on the Limbaugh show this morning, "There was nothing to smooth over."]
Pedaling a Progressive agenda from atop a Trojan Horse... and conservatives get berated because they see thru the charade.
Go back to movies Arnold, like when that old lady kicked your behind in that scene from "End of Days."
All the talk of working for the "people of California" sounds strangely socialist. We knew we weren't getting a conservative with Ahhhnold, we just didn't expect him to take such a hard left turn .
Transcript of Arnie's monologue... What a lib!
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_032107/content/01125106.guest.html
A.S. may be quite liberal when compared to a real conservative,....but compared to the usual CalLib types, he is a regular Barry Goldwater....
His 4 initiatives last election were all pro-conservative. And each got trounced.
I thought he had no chance to come back. But it looks as if he came back as a non-conservative.
Just heard on O'Reilly that his Shriver-Kennedy wife considers his Affair with the GOP as a 'sickness'.
I don't envy his life.
"It's doing the work of the people."
that's a liberal, socialist statement.
It's pretty obvious Arnold gave up being the conservative standard barrier in California. He was a bit too ambitious, and learned the wrong lessons in failure.
He was rather pathetic on Rush's show. All politician, and being in California, just happy to slow down the liberal juggernaut, rather than lead us to a better, read non-collectivist, government.
The six degrees of Arnold Schwarzenegger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAU4AOu7Hvs
You nailed that apt description. The big, bloated, spent steroid just rudely stomped all over a man who had to listen through some implanted electronic gizmo to try to find a break in Schwartzenegger's blinding stream of verbal diareah to get in a word, or two, edgewise!!!
He knew exactly what he was doing and his gay demonicrat COS put him up to it with Maria giggling in the background. Despicable Demonicrats... All of 'em!!!
No, I think you did.
...big, bloated, spent steroid ... blinding stream of verbal diareah
I'll bet you think I like him, right? I gotta go eat some fattening, sinful ice cream and then go to bed without any exercise to fullfill clothing that I just bought because I'm now a fat non-smoker!!! Yuck!!! Oh well...
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