Arnold's Budget Deal Sealed with Stories, Cigars

[salin]

Arnold's Budget Deal Sealed with Stories, Cigars

Dec. 13 — By Daniel Sorid
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As an actor and bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger fought his way to victory by destroying his enemies, but it was old-fashioned backroom haggling by the newly minted Gov. Schwarzenegger that won Democrats over to a critical state budget proposal this week.

Over bottles of wine and water and the occasional cigar, Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders spent five hours late Wednesday night hammering out a compromise budget deal that appeared close to death just a week earlier.

"People were ecstatic," said Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson Jr. "We took a group shot, a group photo, Arnold and I on chairs sitting next to each other."

The agreement, formally passed on Friday, paves the way for a record $15 billion bond measure to fund the state's debt and a constitutional spending cap to help prevent future budget train wrecks for California's struggling economy. The plan goes to the public for approval in a March ballot.

more: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20031213_178.html

[Don Claybrook]

1. Great job, Wesson. Did he give you his autograph too?

This account of Wesson's sounds like it comes from a Schwarzenegger fan's (or groupie's) website. Someone please tell me that the entire Democratic apparatus in California hasn't become star-struck and addicted to good cigars at the expense of the people who are counting on them.

[truthisfreedom]

2. more than likely cubans, contraband.

[catzies]

3. My thoughts exactly.

We are so screwed. And some of us saw it coming and warned others, but did they listen?? NO! :mad:

[The Zanti Regent]

5. Pink Tutu Wesson is gonna get a rude surprise!

Just wait for Governor Asshole to put this BORROW AND SPEND® bullshit on the ballot.

What will Governor Asshole and Pink Tutu Wesson do when we vote NO on the bonds????

[SoCalDem]

4. Did Arnie autograph their asses too??

Has he washed the lip marks off his ass yet??

How on earth can people be so star-struck and naive??

[Democat]

6. Cowardly idiotic democrats

We are screwed for many years to come.

[Devil Dog Dem]

7. Dems are such pink tutus. Repugs would never fall for this crap.

Why are we surrounded by such IDIOTS!?!?!

[joefree1]

8. How do you screw rethugs and Dems at the same time?

Ask Arnold.

"It's not over 'till Arnold gropes the fat lady" —Bill Press, on MSNBC

http://www.recallarnoldwatch.org

[okieinpain]

9. what I don't understand is why couldn't davis do the same deal.

I mean if this deal is basically the dems deal, why didn't davis sign it.

[demgrrrll]

10. We have two people from California who were in our offices to do some

computer work, they describe their views as liberal but they didn't
have any problems with Arnold because he was a "businessman" who could make the changes that were necessary to save California and something had to be done because the state was going down the drain.
I wonder how closely that parrots what they were hearing on the news and on the radio in their state. I mentioned that it wasn't in anyone's interest to mow over the democratic process, they dismissed my concerns by stating that if Gray Davis was a CEO he would be fired so why not fire a government employee. Guess they can fire Arnold too though.

[indypaul]

11. Since when

is more debt and interest expense the solution to one's
inability to live within their resources? Is there no
way to convince "Kalleefornians" that this man is pissing
on their legs and convincing them it's raining.
He is a carbon copy of Bush and is using the same
economic reasoning. I like what Nixon said about his
ecconomic advisors, "Seldom right,but never in doubt."
I think that applies today both in California and D.C.
Unfortunately the debt and cost to service it is now
so far out of control, I doubt that even Clinton and
Rubin could come up with ways to handle it.

[peekaloo]

12. gang banging Cal-lee-forn-ya or "My Circle Jerk with Ahnold".

but it's Maria doing the devil's work:

-----------
Behind the scenes, Maria Shriver, the governor's wife and the niece of the late President John F. Kennedy, was said to help keep the wheels of negotiations turning in the days leading up to the final agreement.

--------------

Shriver, who gave Schwarzenegger a big boost in the final days of his recall campaign, attended meetings between her husband and Democratic leaders and continuously pushed for a deal, The Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday, citing aides to the governor.

A spokesman for Schwarzenegger declined to comment.

-------------

[henslee]

13. you mean deal sealed with cigars, stories and hummers.

[David__77]

14. People: Please, this is a DEMOCRATIC victory.

Schwarzenegger signed on to the DEMOCRATIC plan. The "spending caps" are DEAD. Davis also had a plan to borrow billions. The reserve fund is a good idea. This will actually encourage the right choices to be made. We can't crow "Democratic victory," but this is really the case. Or as seen from Sacramento anyway.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

15. Not to mention all the Repub conservative senators who voted

against it. In essence, what Arnold passed was Davis' plan :D (except for a few more bucks after making the deficit worse by repealing the increased vehicle registration fee)

[Andromeda]

16. The spending caps are what I was concerned about.

That would have been disasterous for California. If this was the Democratic plan and everybody came together on it (save for some Republicans) maybe it'll work.

Thanks for clearing up my questions about this deal. I didn't know any of the details and I feel better now.:-)