Reiner not exiting political stage [More Meathead to come]

Sacramento Bee ^ | 6/11/6 | Laura Mecoy

[SmithL]

Despite Prop. 82's loss, director-activist says he'll continue to back liberal causes.

LOS ANGELES -- After shutting himself off from the public for nearly three months, movie director and actor Rob Reiner stepped back into the spotlight election night and declared he wasn't leaving the political stage.

Voters had just handed a resounding defeat to Proposition 82, the universal preschool initiative he'd championed.

Reiner had been forced to step down from the chairmanship of the First 5 California commission because of criticism about its $23 million taxpayer-financed preschool advertising campaign.

He'd gone into a self-imposed exile from the media in mid-March in the hope that his absence would divert attention away from the controversy and toward Proposition 82.

Only after all the votes had been cast did he step back in front of the television cameras to declare: "I am not going away."

"We are going to fight for progressive causes," he said. "We are going to fight to make sure we lift everyone up, we fix our education system, we improve our economy and we move forward in California."

Speaking to a crowd of cheering preschool supporters at an election-night watch party in downtown Los Angeles, the 61-year-old activist sounded like the gubernatorial candidate he'd once been considered to be -- and may still be considering becoming.

In November, the Field Poll found almost as many Californians were willing to vote for Reiner for governor as were willing to vote for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Columnists gleefully speculated about a "Meathead vs. Terminator" contest. Reiner decided against seeking the governorship this year, but he hasn't closed the door on a future bid for the state's top job.

He declined to be interviewed..., and his spokesman, Mark Fabiani, said it's too early to decide on a future statewide political bid.

[SmithL]

I guess we will have Meathead to kick around some more.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Well The Princess Bride proved that he knows how to create a fantasy world, now he's creating one where he actually thinks what he says matters.

[Archie Bunker on steroids]

I tried to change the SOB

[Hildy]

Only a liberal would take a stunning defeat and turn it into a mandate to run for office. Idiot.

[vetsvette]

"Reiner had been forced to step down from the chairmanship of the First 5 California commission because of criticism about its $23 million taxpayer-financed preschool advertising campaign."

I'll start to have a renewed confidence in out justice system when he's indicted for this major theft of taxpayer funds. Unlike either Scooter Libby or Karl Rove, he deserves to be frog-marched into a jail cell.

But, he's a liberal and it'll never happen.

[digger48]

You gave us some laughs, when we thought Meathead was just a role in a show. You've produced some wonderful films. Your father was a pioneer in the business that made you rich.

Lets just say, we liked you better when you did what you did best.


Now STFU!

[CounterCounterCulture]

We haven't forgotten
Meathead's rotten

[dhs12345]

"We are going to fight for progressive causes," he said. "We are going to fight to make sure we lift everyone up, we fix our education system, we improve our economy and we move forward in California."

Wonder how much of his own money he spends on his progressive causes. I'd respect the guy if he put his money where his mouth is versus the taxpayers money. Also, progressive causes hurt economies versus improve them.

[CounterCounterCulture]

"We are going to fight to make sure we lift everyone up"

You can't "lift everyone up" by holding people down.

[GOPJ]

Rob Reiner and Michael Moore work for us - they offend so well, and so completely, folks register Republican. Go for it Rob, keep up the good work...

[jmaroneps37]

Keep at it meat baby, we need you to pull the rat even further to the left.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

In November, the Field Poll found almost as many Californians were willing to vote for Reiner for governor as were willing to vote for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The same poll that, on the eve of the election, showed Prop 82 losing by only tight percentage---less than the margin of error---followed by a landslide loss of over 20 points? That poll?

[newzjunkey]

Oh fun. It's like playing political Whack-a-Mole!

[John Lenin]

Isn't what he did with taxpayer money to fund his preschool initiative a crime ?