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Schwarzenegger Lauds Bush on Terror Fight
Wednesday September 1, 2004
By ERICA WERNER
AP
NEW YORK - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger drew on his
childhood in Soviet-occupied Austria to endorse President Bush's war on
terror. ``Terrorism is more insidious than communism,'' the
bodybuilder-turned-politician said Tuesday in a speech to the Republican
convention.
Bush ``knows you don't reason with terrorists. You defeat them. He knows
you can't reason with people blinded by hate,'' he said.
Putting his star power to work for President Bush in a prime-time address,
Schwarzenegger also urged optimism about the country's economy.
``To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: 'Don't
be economic girlie men!''' Schwarzenegger said - a line from a Saturday
Night Live spoof of him that he used against Democratic legislators
earlier this year.
Schwarzenegger was trying to reintroduce himself as a politician to a
country that might still see him as a movie star. The convention
appearance was his first chance to give a purely political speech to a
national television audience since taking office in California last
November.
Schwarzenegger's wife, Kennedy relative and Democrat Maria Shriver,
watched from a convention hall box with the couple's four children, aged
6-14. She was seated next to President Bush's parents, Barbara Bush and
former President George H.W. Bush, who appointed Schwarzenegger to head
the President's Council on Physical Fitness.
``Wow, this is like winning an Oscar - as if I would know!'' the governor
said when he took the stage to wild applause from delegates who waved
signs reading ``The Governator'' and ``Arnold Rocks.''
In his remarks, Schwarzenegger never named Democratic nominee John Kerry,
with whom he is friendly, and the speech was peppered with jokes rather
than partisan attacks.
Schwarzenegger told delegates how he arrived in the United States as a
young bodybuilder knowing little English, became Mr. Universe, a Hollywood
star, and then governor of the nation's most populous state in an
unprecedented recall election last year.
He welcomed his fellow immigrants to the Republican Party. ``We
Republicans admire your ambition. We encourage your dreams. We believe in
your future,'' he said.
``I want other people to get the same chances I did, the same
opportunities,'' he said.
He said he decided to become a Republican after watching Hubert Humphrey
and Richard Nixon debate. He said he concluded, ``Listening to Nixon speak
sounded more like a breath of fresh air.''
How could other immigrants know they're a Republican?
``If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not
the people to the government - then you're a Republican!'' he said,
repeating the refrain that brought the crowd to its feet.
Recalling growing up in Austria when the Soviet tanks rolled through his
homeland, Schwarzenegger said the Bush administration should not waiver
from its determination to fight terrorists scattered across the globe.
``My fellow Americans, make no mistake about it - terrorism is more
insidious than communism, because it yearns to destroy not just the
individual but the entire international order.''
Earlier in the day, Schwarzenegger made an unannounced stop at a Manhattan
fire house that suffered heavy casualties on Sept. 11 and bought pizza for
the firefighters.
Despite Schwarzenegger's praise of Bush, he's been cautious so far in
promoting the president's re-election. The two have appeared together in
California but Schwarzenegger has sent mixed signals about campaigning for
Bush outside California.
Schwarzenegger's popularity in Democrat-leaning California rests in part
on his bipartisan, moderate image - an image that could be tarnished if he
embraces Bush too closely, analysts say.
Bush's approval rating stood at 40 percent in California in an August
poll, compared with 65 percent for Schwarzenegger. The two disagree on
issues including abortion rights, which Schwarzenegger supports, and
amending the Constitution to ban gay marriage, which he opposes.
And despite Schwarzenegger's welcoming words, the GOP is torn about the
face it reveals to immigrants. The new party platform endorses President
Bush's request to give temporary legal status to illegal workers, but
conservatives hate that plan, and Hispanic groups complain it doesn't go
far enough.
Schwarzenegger supports Bush's proposal but is expected to veto a bill
that just landed on his desk that would give drivers' licenses to illegal
immigrants. He also was criticized during last fall's recall campaign for
supporting Proposition 187, the 1994 California measure that would have
denied state services to illegal immigrants.
While the speech showcased Schwarzenegger as a political leader, it's not
clear what his political future might hold. As a foreign-born citizen he
could not run for president unless the Constitution were amended.
Schwarzenegger became governor after California voters recalled Gov. Gray
Davis, a Democrat.
Governor fires up GOP faithful
Crowd-pleaser: Schwarzenegger cheers for Bush, says 'America is back'
Carla Marinucci and John Wildermuth
September 1, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, completing his transformation from
muscular curiosity to political powerhouse, told a national
television audience Tuesday that "America is back'' -- and
delivered a rousing, crowd-pleasing endorsement of George W.
Bush that downplayed his differences with the president.
"Ladies and gentlemen, America is back. Back from the attack
on our homeland, back from the attack on our economy, back
from the attack on our way of life,'' Schwarzenegger -- in a
play on his signature "Terminator" movie line -- told the
nearly 5,000 delegates to the Republican National Convention.
"We're back because of the perseverance, character and
leadership of the 43rd president of the United States, George
W. Bush.''
In a finely tuned address, thick with applause lines,
Schwarzenegger electrified the crowd with the story of his
immigrant journey to America and his arm-pumping tale of "why
I'm even more proud to be an American, why I'm proud to be a
Republican and why I believe this country is in good hands.''
While Schwarzenegger's more moderate views on issues such as
legalized abortion, gay rights and gun control don't mesh with
those of Bush -- or the generally conservative convention
delegates -- the governor argued that was no problem for his
party.
"That's what's great about this country,'' the Austrian-born
immigrant said. "Here we can respectfully disagree and still
be patriotic, still be American and still be good
Republicans.''
But Schwarzenegger's story wasn't really about Bush's
re-election or even about politics. Instead, he focused on his
adopted country, a land of hope, opportunity and dreams for a
boy growing up during the Soviet occupation of Austria.
America is still "the lamp lighting the world,'' he said, for
new immigrants, as it was for him.
Schwarzenegger's career as a champion bodybuilder and
Hollywood superstar has been characterized by a sense of
showmanship and raucous fun that didn't disappear when he was
elected governor last October, not even when he talked on the
national stage.
"To those critics who are so pessimistic about our country, I
say: Don't be economic girlie men,'' the finger-wagging
governor said, breaking up the crowd with a line that brought
him grief when he used it during California's budget battle
earlier this summer.
That showmanship carried over to the California delegation,
where members donned Terminator-style wraparound sunglasses,
bobblehead lapel pins and "I'm with Arnold" T-shirts.
While Schwarzenegger's speech might have been the marquee
event on the second night of the GOP convention, he shared the
prime-time stage with first lady Laura Bush, who delivered a
low-key and highly personal endorsement of her husband.
George Bush today is "still the same person I met at a
backyard barbecue in Midland, Texas, and married three months
later,'' she said. "He'll always tell you what he really
thinks. You can count on him, especially in a crisis. His
friends don't change -- and neither do his values.''
Laura Bush painted an intimate picture of a president who has
agonized over decisions he had to make, sitting quietly
through family dinners, walking alone on the White House lawn
and crying with families who have lost loved ones.
"I was there when my husband had to decide,'' she said. "Once
again, as in our parents' generation, America had to make the
tough choices, the hard decisions, and lead the world toward
greater security and freedom.''
Although the president typically doesn't show up at the
convention hall until it's time to give his acceptance speech,
Bush sidestepped that tradition Tuesday, introducing his wife
in a live video feed from Pennsylvania, where he is
campaigning.
"I have the best and easiest job of this convention,'' said
the president, looking proud and relaxed in an open-collar
shirt. "I am a lucky man to have Laura at my side.''
It was Schwarzenegger, though, who brought the Madison Square
Garden crowd to its feet with a speech that showcased the
charisma and political savvy that has propelled him from movie
action hero to GOP superstar in little more than a year. With
a billboard-sized American flag waving behind him on the video
monitor, he was confident and comfortable as only a veteran
actor can be. He controlled the crowd from his
self-deprecating opening joke, waiting patiently for the
applause he knew would come and gesturing straight into the
camera to make his points.
But Schwarzenegger -- a pro-choice, pro-gay rights Republican
married to a prominent member of the Kennedy family -- also
was a critical part of the GOP effort to attract independent,
swing and disaffected Democratic voters who may help sway the
Nov. 2 election.
"To think that a once-scrawny boy from Austria could grow up
to become governor of the state of California and stand here
in Madison Square Garden and speak on behalf of the president
of the United States -- that is an immigrant's dream,''
Schwarzenegger said. "It is the American dream.''
The Republican message of free enterprise, a strong military
and a smaller government should provide the same lure to
immigrants that it did when he arrived in the United States in
1968, penniless and unable to speak English, Schwarzenegger
said.
"To my fellow immigrants listening here tonight, I want you to
know how welcome you are in this party,'' the governor said.
"We Republicans admire your ambition. We encourage your
dreams. We believe in your future.''
Democrats said Schwarzenegger's speech -- and his whole New
York visit -- was a carefully crafted, Hollywood-style attempt
to paper over Schwarzenegger's many differences with the
president and his own party.
"It's another example of the Republicans masquerading around,
trying to hide the truth,'' said David Chai, a Democratic
Party spokesman.
Earlier in the day, the governor went to Fire Station 54 in
midtown Manhattan, which lost many of its firefighters in the
terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Surrounded by
about a dozen firefighters, the governor led a moment of
silence for those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.
"I'm not the real hero,'' he told the firefighters. "You're
the real heroes. It takes balls to do what you do."
Schwazenegger meets the press at – where else – Planet Hollywood
By Bill Ainsworth
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
September 2, 2004
NEW YORK – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger finished his stay at the
Republican National Convention Thursday mixing style, substance –
and a little bit of controversy.
First, he staged a Hollywood-like red carpet arrival at a California
luncheon in front of hundreds of adoring fans in Times Square, while
later he promised to negotiate lower prescription drug prices with
pharmaceutical companies, rather than sign legislation allowing drug
purchases from Canada.
Schwarzenegger made his pledge to cut drug prices during a
wide-ranging news conference that covered his record pace of raising
campaign contributions, his hopes to nudge the GOP to the political
center, and the possibility of him campaigning for President Bush in
the swing state of Ohio.
The news conference took place at a Planet Hollywood restaurant
filled with lifelike statues of the governor in his role as the
"Terminator." Schwarzenegger, a former action-movie hero, used to be
an investor in the restaurant chain.
Schwarzenegger's convention events have generated criticism because
they were funded by corporations that have a stake in pending
legislation, including the pharmaceutical and biotech Pfizer and
Amgen. The governor's campaign committees have also received about
$325,000 from the pharmaceutical industry.
The industry is part of a massive lobbying effort trying to convince
the governor to veto legislation that would make it easier for
Californians to buy cheaper prescription drugs in Canada.
Schwarzenegger said that he opposed bills because it is illegal
under federal to import drugs from Canada. Still, he said, he would
use the pending legislation as leverage to get price cuts.
"I want to go to the drug companies and say 'Hey, I can sign these
bills or you can come to the table and negotiate,'" he said. "'I
want you to come down with the prices, why should we bear the burden
when everyone else gets it cheap?'"
Last month, Schwarzenegger's administration outlined a plan to
provide discounts to uninsured lower-income residents by negotiating
bulk discounts and using donated drugs. Critics called it
inadequate, saying the savings would be small.
Schwarzenegger also said that even though he has raised millions of
dollars from corporations, he cannot be influenced by special
interests.
"I will not represent the drug companies, I will represent the
people," he said.
Schwarzenegger said that besides bolstering Bush, one of his goals
at the convention was to inspire Republicans to move more toward the
political center, the space where he governs in California.
In contrast to the president and many of the delegates at the GOP
convention, the governor has said he supports gay rights, abortion
rights and strict environmental protections.
"Let's push it to the center. That's where the future is. That's
what I'm trying to do nationally," he said.
Schwarzenegger said his campaigning for Bush would be limited
because voters elected him to fix California's problems. Many voters
who put him into office during last year's recall, he said, are
Democrats, who dominate California politics.
"It would be wrong to see me every day on the road going from state
to state. That's not why people voted for me," he said.
Still, Schwarzenegger said he might campaign for Bush in the
battleground state of Ohio, where the former world champion
bodybuilder hosts an annual fitness competition. That would be huge
for Bush and draw the ire of Democrats. A Republican has never won
the presidency without winning Ohio.
The governor left the convention early, heading home on his private
jet to watch President Bush's acceptance speech in Los Angeles,
fueling speculation that he was trying to distance himself from the
president – a notion dismissed by his aides who said he was merely
getting back to work.
[Link]
Arnie's grasp of Austrian history questioned
Fri, 03 Sep 2004
CBC
VIENNA - While he has been a success as a bodybuilder, action star and
politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a failure as a historian.
That's according to some people in Austria, his former homeland, who are
calling into question the picture of his boyhood that Schwarzenegger
painted when he addressed the Republican National Convention in New York.
Schwarzenegger, star of such films as Conan The Barbarian and The
Terminator, told delegates on Tuesday that he recalled seeing Soviet tanks
and that the country was dominated by socialists.
"I saw tanks in the streets. I saw communism with my own eyes,"
Schwarzenegger said in a speech that was lauded by many observers as the
highlight of the gathering.
But those who have studied the history of Austria say that would have been
impossible.
Schwarzenegger was raised in the province of Styria. It was occupied after
the Second World War by allied troops, including U.S., British and Soviet
forces, before he was born in 1947. The Soviets withdrew from the region
in 1945, one historian says.
"It's a fact – as a child he could not have seen a Soviet tank in Styria,"
the Associated Press reports Stefan Karner telling the Vienna newspaper
Kurier.
"The Terminator is constructing a rather bizarre Austria image," added
Norbert Darabos, a ranking official of Austria's opposition Social
Democratic party.
Schwarzenegger also said that "As a kid, I saw the socialist country that
Austria became after" the country regained its independence in 1955.
But according to Martin Polaschek, a law history scholar, none of the
country's chancellors were socialists between the years of 1945 and 1970.
"He did not speak as a historian, after all, but as a politician,"
Polaschek said, noting that during the period in question the country was
governed by coalition governments, including the conservative People's
party and the Social Democratic party.
In Polaschek's view, the former actor was "using the old Communist enemy
image for Bush's election campaign."
[Link]
President Schwarzenegger? Some GOP delegates liked the idea
ERICA WERNER
AP
September 5, 2004
There may be only one thing more improbable than the idea of
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming president -- and that's
the idea that he wouldn't want to try.
Schwarzenegger could only run for president if the
Constitution were amended -- a complicated and rarely achieved
process -- to allow foreign-born citizens to serve in the
White House.
But Schwarzenegger has devoted his life to doing what people
told him couldn't be done, from bodybuilding to acting to
becoming governor. The more impossible it seems, the more he
seems to want it.
As he recently told The New Yorker magazine: "The fun part
about it is to do something when everyone says it can't be
done . . . This is exactly what my life always has been
about."
After Schwarzenegger thrilled Republican National Convention
delegates with his prime-time speech last Tuesday, many said
they'd support a constitutional amendment so they could one
day watch him accept the nomination for president.
"Before the speech, I didn't think it was such a hot idea.
After the speech, I'll help him gather signatures," said
delegate Bill Aniskovich, Republican leader of the Connecticut
state Senate.
Schwarzenegger, who became a U.S. citizen in 1983,
acknowledged being approached on the issue.
"I have heard it a lot of times, yes, but as you know I don't
pay attention to hypothetical stuff," he told reporters.
"Right now I'm thinking of fixing California, that's my main
objective."
A constitutional amendment can be proposed either by Congress
with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate,
or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of
state legislatures. So far, none of the 27 amendments to the
Constitution has been proposed by constitutional convention.
Either way, the amendment must then be approved by
three-fourths of states.
The last amendment to the Constitution was the 27th, ratified
in 1992, to prohibit Congress from giving itself midterm pay
raises. Amazingly enough, that amendment was written by James
Madison in 1789 and took 203 years to work its way through the
necessary number of state legislatures.
But amendments can happen much faster than that. The 21st
amendment, which repealed Prohibition in 1933, was ratified by
three-fourths of states in less than a year.
"Amending the Constitution is a really difficult process. But
a popular idea whose time has come can amend the
Constitution," said Jonathan Wilcox, a Republican strategist
who teaches a course on politics and celebrity at the
University of Southern California.
Some members of Congress support the change. Sen. Orrin Hatch,
R-Utah, has proposed an amendment that would allow someone
who's been a citizen for 20 years to run for president.
Arkansas Rep. Vic Snyder, a Democrat, is sponsoring a similar
version in the House that would require a 35-year wait.
Some delegates and lawmakers said that the provision barring
foreign-born citizens from running for president is archaic.
At the time it was written, according to historians, the
founding fathers feared foreign meddling with the presidency.
Since then, America has become a country of immigrants, and
denying longtime citizens the opportunity to seek the
presidency just because they weren't born here seems arbitrary
to some.
"If you think about it, the Constitution limits us from having
the opportunity of choosing someone who's a bold, dynamic,
dedicated leader for our country," said Rep. David Dreier,
R-San Dimas. "If it's defined as an effort which would really
expand the rights of people, the options people have, I think
the American people could relate to that."
Others weren't so optimistic about the prospects for such an
amendment. State Sen. Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, said
Democrats would block it because they wouldn't want to give
Schwarzenegger the chance to seek the presidency. But Dreier
noted that Democrats could benefit as well -- Michigan Gov.
Jennifer Granholm, a rising star in Democratic party, was born
in Canada.
Still, the idea has its detractors. Several conservative
delegates said that, impressed as they were by Schwarzenegger,
the Constitution should remain unchanged.
"I don't see it as an issue of Schwarzenegger or Granholm of
Michigan," said delegate Steve Frank of Simi Valley, Calif. "I
see it as a traditional constitutional issue and I think our
founding fathers wrote a document that should stand."
[Link]
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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
(Wilmore and Costill) 
