WP: Schwarzenegger Lends Women His Muscle

[DeepModem Mom]

Schwarzenegger Lends Women His Muscle

By William Booth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 8, 2004; Page C01


LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 7 -- All those accusations of unwelcome gropes in hostile work environments? A distant memory of a recent unpleasantness, it seems. Because when the actress Jamie Lee Curtis introduced California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at his Conference on Women and Families here on Tuesday, the audience of 10,000 -- about 9,995 of them female -- gave the Republican action hero a standing ovation.

"Welcome to the estrogen festival!" announced Curtis, who described her co-star in 1994's "True Lies" as a caring, compassionate gal pal who gets it. "He is," Curtis sighed, "the ultimate girlie man."...

***

A few hundred nurses could be heard chanting outside the cavernous Long Beach Convention Center, protesting Schwarzenegger's decision to allow hospitals to cut back on the number of nurses....

***

So the day went. A little pop. A little schlock. Mixed in with you-go-girl messages of surviving breast cancer and making a mint -- bringing home the bacon and frying it up in the pan. Or as California first lady Maria Shriver put it: "We are dressed to kill at the office and dressed to play at home."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45616-2004Dec7.html

[Sapphocrat]

1. 'We are dressed to kill at the office and dressed to play at home.'

And I am ready to vomit on my monitor.

P.S. F.U., Jamie.

[Kurovski]

24. that's a hell of a dry cleaning bill

that few can actually afford.

And they say Hollywood is out of touch :eyes:

[Voltaire99]

33. Arnie looked down Curtis' blouse--to applause!

When a top button on Curtis's silk blouse came undone onstage, the governor looked down and said, "I didn't see anything."

The applause rolled in -- and then Schwarzenegger urged the crowd to go see Curtis in her new movie, "Christmas With the Kranks." Said he, "It's a box office smash."

What an audience of Stepford Wives.

[Darth_Kitten]

40. Jamie is like Arnie, a "sorta" faux feminist......

She and Arnie know how to "empower" women whilst appearing so hip and so cool. :eyes: :evilgrin:

I'm disappointed, turn back towards the light, Jamie. :)

[DemExpat]

2. Everything in this article makes me want to puke....

(Except for the protesting nurses....)

The title....."lends his muscle"??????
:puke:

And the women's reactions.....

:puke:

Shame on Curtis and Shriver. :-(

DemEx

[ElectroPrincess]

28. I regret to suggest that Maria Shriver ...

has starved her body for so long, to stave off complete starvation nourishment many of her brain cells may have been sacrificed to keep her ticking.

Sadly, the term "pinhead" seems appropriate for her present state of mind.

[Javaman]

31. Maria Shriver has the nancy Reagan syndrome...

Big head small body, as opposed the the Bluto (of popeye fame) syndrome, little head big body

[BeyondGeography]

3. Disney exec: Honey, I forgot the kids

<The one-day event (cost $125 per) brought together some of the highest-profile women from the executive suites -- Anne Sweeney, head of Disney ABC Television Group, and Meg Whitman, president of eBay -- to sit around (Oprah-style) and answer questions from O Magazine editor Gayle King about their struggles juggling multibillion-dollar corporations and soccer practice.

"It was very freeing to realize I couldn't do it all," Sweeney said, admitting there were days when "I forgot to pick up the kids at school.">

[Darth_Kitten]

39. I cannot do it all obviously either........

Coming home from shopping, I forgot a bag :eyes: went back and got it. :evilgrin:

I juggle so much. :eyes: Well, at least I remembered to buy the "kids" (my pets) food. I'm not a total failure as a woman. :)

(totally tongue in cheek) :)

P.S. remember the good old days, when Mom didn't necessarily pick you up in the SUV, because Mom was at work or otherwise occupied? Or kids had two legs that they were required to USE to WALK home? :shrug: ;) :evilgrin:

[Missy M]

4. Unbelievable!!

The governor regarding the nurses protesting cut backs on the number of nurses "pay no attention to those voices because those are special interests". I guess that says it all for this country at this point, admitting our voices will not be heard.

Laura Schlessinger as a spokesperson for women is a joke. Whatever happened to women like Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem who helped make it possible for the women attending this ridiculous conference to get where they are? Maria Shriver needs a lesson in the real world of the office.

[sadiesworld]

5. There is so much spin here...

I am literally dizzy.

Bizarro world, indeed.

BTW, welcome to DU. :hi:

[ilovenicepeople]

30. Damn it did I miss the womans conference for satanic minions

Oh Well, I guess won't start worshiping evil and money quite yet.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Indeed, Missy M -- welcome to DU!

[meg]

7. Write the paper's ombudsman - I did - see email addy

[e-mail]

[DeepModem Mom]

8. I thought maybe the writer was highlighting the ridiculousness...

of all this between the lines? Reminding readers of Arnold's groping in the first sentence, etc. --

[CBHagman]

9. All is not well in sunny California.

"A few hundred nurses could be heard chanting outside the cavernous Long Beach Convention Center, protesting Schwarzenegger's decision to allow hospitals to cut back on the number of nurses.

"But the governor beamed his pearly whites and said, 'Pay no attention to those voices" because 'those are special interests.'"

Yeah, and when that steroid-enhanced, carefully made-up body gets a visit from cancer, heart disease or another life-threatening illness, you'll find out how "special" those interests are. I'm here to say that any cardiac nurse I know is worth 2 million of Schwaenzlein ("Little prick," my nickname for Schwarzenegger).

[realFedUp]

10. The actual quote from Arnie was "because I've been kicking their butts."

Kicking Women's Butts
By Carmen Balber and Douglas Heller

At the Governor's Conference on Women and Families this morning a group of nurses protesting Arnold's decision to gut the state's nurse staffing ratios were kicked out of the event while the Gov was speaking. Arnold reportedly said from the lectern that the women were angry, "because I've been kicking their butts." Is that supposed to be a step up from groping?

He might be a tough guy on stage, but Arnold was a girlie-man on women's issues this year when the special interests got into the fight. There is no doubt that Arnold's "Conference on Women and Families" in Long Beach today will skip over the series of high priority bills supported by the State Commission on the Status of Women that Arnold vetoed, siding instead with the guys - the guys that give him campaign cash, that is.

- Arnold burned the (majority female) nursing profession when he caved to the hospital lobby and stopped the implementation of nurse staffing ratios.
- At the behest of big donors Blue Cross ($142,400 to Arnold) and Health Net ($48,000), the Gov vetoed Senator Jackie Speier's SB 1555 that would have required health insurers to pay for maternity care.
- Because the guys at the Chamber of Commerce didn't like it, Arnold vetoed Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza's AB 2317, a bill to strengthen equal pay for equal work laws.
- Senator Deborah Ortiz's bill, SB 379, to add new protections for uninsured hospital patients and Senator Dede Alpert's plan, SB 339, making it easier to collect child support from deadbeats also got Arnold's manly ax.

While today's conference may tell the stories of incredible women, Arnold's vetoes and his real impact on California women won't make it into the spotlight. That's because the corporate sponsors of the conference got to set the conference agenda. In exchange for funding the conference, the big business donors not only get their logo splashed throughout the event, they bought the right to provide program ideas, speak at the event, moderate the panels and even design event sessions (Download the corporate sponsor benefits lists at: http://californiagovernorsconference.org/downloads/Fina... .)

So instead of taking on the Governor's failure to support equity in insurance benefits or equal pay and workplace standards, conference panels include "From Runways to Reality: How to Dress for Success" hosted by a Giorgio Armani executive and "Overcoming Obstacles: Become the Person You Were Meant To Be" led by Ameriquest.

Not surprisingly, big donors to the Governor's Conference (such as Target, SBC, Ameriquest, Bank of America, Apple, Safeway, Kaiser, ChevronTexaco and Allstate) are also big donors to Arnold. To help sell his Conference on Women to big business, Arnold sweetened the pot by having a private reception with the biggest contributors. The special interests will happily open their wallets to buy some time with Arnold at the maternity-benefits-denying, glass-ceiling-protecting, nurse-butt-kicking Governor's Conference on Women and Families.

Read more at http://www.ArnoldWatch.org

[CBHagman]

11. Please do a letter to the editor on that.

Thank you for posting that. I haven't been reading the daily coverage from California, but I know a little about the ugly realities behind the hype.

Seriously, though, consider a letter to The Washington Post about this. The coverage of Schwarezenegger has been so fawning that it's sick-making. David Broder, who is supposed to know better, did a gushy opinion piece on how well Schwarzenegger was doing after a year. Then again, it's probably easy for Broder to talk, because I'll bet he has wonderful retirement and health care plans.

The media is so besotted with the phoney image of Schwarzenegger that they turn a blind eye to what he's doing to people. Only a few -- Harold Meyerson, for example -- have even approached describing what an elitist, autocratic sleaze he is and how much his policies are going to hurt the average Janes and Joes.

[realFedUp]

14. The whole quote is from LA Times today

respond to: [e-mail]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-women8dec08,1,484013.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Cheers and Jeers Greet Gov.
Schwarzenegger and his wife welcome 10,000 women at an annual conference, but he derides protesting nurses in the audience.

By Robert Salladay
Times Staff Writer

December 8, 2004

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's conference on women Tuesday featured a message of taking charge. In that spirit, a cadre of angry nurses repeatedly interrupted his speech before 10,000 women to chant in protest until being led away by security guards.

But the act of public disobedience didn't change many minds in the cavernous Long Beach convention hall. Schwarzenegger drew raucous cheers from the audience by ridiculing the protesters from the California Nurses Assn.

The union has been holding demonstrations around the state to protest the Republican governor's decision to allow hospitals to delay a scheduled rise in staffing levels that would have forced them to hire more nurses.

"Pay no attention to those voices over there," Schwarzenegger said of the protesting nurses. "They are the special interests, and you know what I mean. The special interests don't like me in Sacramento because I am always kicking their butts."

snip-

"The fact that he would call registered nurses a special interest is just completely insulting and precisely why registered nurses are out here today," said Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the 60,000-member CNA.

"For him to pretend to care about women's empowerment at the same time gutting one of the largest professions of women in the United States is outrageous."



continued

[realFedUp]

15. Arnie's taken $26 million from his "special interests"

but I guess nurses aren't special enough
unless they fork over their dough to prop
up this Steroid Showman.

[realFedUp]

16. more from the article- Dr. Laura's seminar on how to nurture your hubbies

snip-

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, author and talk show host, lectured women on how to nurture their husbands and not spend time man-bashing.

"Men are very simple creatures," she said to laughs. "I don't mean stupid. I mean uncomplicated."

Dozens of vendors hawked their products outside the arena, from homeowner's insurance to a $25 "menopause survival kit." There was a posture change hypnosis booth, along with mortgage lenders, Starbucks coffee, soy distributors, Nordstrom makeup artists, volunteer groups and rows and rows of books for sale, such as "Expect a Miracle" and "Invisible Acts of Power."

Women attending the conference said they did so because it gave them a chance to network for business, hear inspiring speeches and generally hang out in a positive environment without men.

[Kurovski]

41. $25 "menopause survival kit."

A bottle of Stoly for the stepfordians?

Dr. Shitslinger decries "man-bashing" even as she bashes men.

No one is "uncomplicated."

And,"Creatures"? Ain't that just adorable?

What a patronising li'l bedpan of puke.

[GoSolar]

12. Really disgusting story

Arnold has always been repulsive, but when did Maria and Jamie become so gross?
:puke:

[Harlan James]

13. Good Thing Arnold Doesn't Play Baseball

They'd be crucifying the Austrian Oak on his past steroid use.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

17. AAAARGH!! NATIONAL STOCKHOLM SYNDROME! Embracing abusers!

Assaulting dozens of women in the workplace and supporting GOP fascism that murders thousands? Some women say 'Thank you, give me some more.'

People have a caveman mentality while Nazis With Nukes run the world with Dr. Evil man-in-a-chair technology.

This is the problem with Evolution: some of us are way ahead of others but are being clubbed to death by those who haven't evolved beyond worshipping brute physical strength.

I despise my governor Gropenfuhrer and everything he stands for.

[realFedUp]

19. When are women going to f*cking wake up to this guy?

Pete Wilson's guys are working the backroom,
while businesses are paying Arnie a lot of
money for his vetoes on legislation that would
help "da people" instead of his corporate
interests. It isn't hard to report how much
he's taken and what the payoffs have been,
but the media just isn't doing it.

When will women especially understand that
this guy isn't working for us. Fees (don't
call them taxes) have been rising across
the board in this state. Borrowing $15 billion
on the backs of mainly the middle class isn't
a hero's action.

[CBHagman]

25. Can you send us some links?

I want to be able to quote chapter and verse on what money Schwarzenegger's taken and from whom.

By the way, I was never taken in by this guy, but it's no thanks to the lickspittle members of the media. Except for people like Lawrence O'Donnell and Harold Meyerson, there has been a massive-fawn-a-thon, with people acting as though Schwarzenegger has done anything but put the bills off for another day and kick the ordinary people in the teeth. The guy's a cosseted bully, and his wife's no better, and yet there are all these plaudits in press. Wait till the miracle turns out to be a fraud...

[realFedUp]

32. You can find out who gave what on arnoldwatch.org

http://www.arnoldwatch.org

They are doing a good job of monitoring
who is giving him how much.

[Megahurtz]

27. This guy sucks.

[Arkana]

18. Arnold Gropenfuhrer?

Disgusting. The man is vile. It's funny how the Pubes wanted to impeach Clinton for adultery, but they elected Arnold for it!

[GingerSnaps]

20. Arnie makes me sick

:puke: :scared:

[realFedUp]

21. The women involved in this conference....Oprah, Jamie Lee, Queen Noor

I hope to hell they were told it would be
loftier than "From Runways to Reality: How to Dress for Success" hosted by a Giorgio Armani executive and "Overcoming Obstacles: Become the Person You Were Meant To Be" led by Ameriquest
or Dr. Laura's panel on how to nurture your husband....

goodgod. Wake up Oprah and Jamie Lee.

[donsu]

22. this sounds like the 50' it's hard to believe Op, Ja and Queen were there

women cheered Arnie??

somebody is feeding them kool aid

[tx_dem41]

23. Well, at least whoever came up with the headline was having fun! n/t

[Megahurtz]

26. Ugh!

Who would be in favor of this guy? And did you see all the women and businesswomen there? They are all rich!

He wouldn't even bother with anyone unless they had big money.

What a joke.

[ElectroPrincess]

29. Another Hollywood persona shows their true colors and lack

of integrity by whoring themselves out to POWER.

Sad, I like Jamie Lee Curtis's acting but I will DIS her to everyone I know and not spend another cent on a movie she chooses to act in.

Oh, I bet she's cryin' over this shun? LOL

[calimary]

34. Ya know... I might want to reword that title, if I were the copy editor...

But I'm glad whoever was on duty did not do so. I need the laugh today.

[realFedUp]

35. kick for the evening crowd.

[realFedUp]

36. +

[Bombero1956]

38. you would think

Target would know better, same goes for Maria who gave $21,000.

[realFedUp]

42. Arnie hires Swift Boat Smear public relations firm

http://www.cadem.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=fvLRK7O3E&b=190089&ct=311297

ARNOLD IGNORES PLEDGE OF BIPARTISANSHIP, HIRES SMEAR GROUP: Though Schwarzenegger campaigned as a candidate who would bring people together, the Sacramento Bee reports the governor has hired the public relations firm that spearheaded the so-called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" smear campaign against Sen. John Kerry. Specifically, "when Schwarzenegger decided to raise campaign cash last week during a trip to Texas, he turned to a group called the McIntosh Company" - the same professional fund-raising firm used by the group that smeared Kerry with false attacks and that was "funded largely by conservative supporters of President Bush." The newspaper said it "is looking forward to cross-checking Schwarzenegger donors from the Dallas event against donors from the Swift Boat ads."

[VegasWolf]

37. Am I the only one who read something erotic into that headline? n/t