Arnold Schwarzenegger Tees Off on Tea Party

California governor criticizes Republicans for hypocrisy

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is termed out, and between a lack of job openings and dismal approval ratings, probably won't be running a campaign for public office any time soon.

And that combination means he can basically say whatever he likes, which is just what he did on Sunday during ABC's "This Week," criticizing his own party:

I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn't create any new jobs. And then they go out and they do the photo ops and they are posing with the big check and they say, "Isn't this great? Look what kind of money I provide here for the state." It doesn't match up.

The comments are similar to those made recently by President Barack Obama, with whom Schwarzenegger is meeting in the hopes of getting some more of that sweet, sweet federal cash in order to help a state that, if it could, would probably declare bankruptcy.

His words were less harsh, if more dismissive, of "Tea Party" protester dreams of some sort of re-revolution to return the country to the founding fathers' dream of white, male, property-holder rule.

"The tea party is not going to go anywhere," he said. "I think the tea party is all about just an expression of anger and dissatisfaction."

Somebody won't be getting invited to go hunting wolves from helicopters with the Palins!

And if you think it's too harsh to suggest that the teabaggers are a racially-tinged reactionary minority, a recent poll by the Datamar firm shows that among Republicans, immigration is still the number one issue, even though thanks to the economy immigrants aren't just staying home, but actually leaving.

Meanwhile, among all Californians, the tax burden doesn't even rate as a leading issue. After all, the one nice thing about unemployment is that your marginal income tax rate is next to nothing.

Jackson West wonders when Republicans will figure out that they won't be able to win statewide elections by evoking racism, because the voting majority soon won't be white.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us