by Mark Silva
"You lie,'' the lawmaker yelled at the executive.
Sound familiar?
So may the executive's response:
A common, if rough, insult ending with "you.''
But this is not what you may think it is. This is a reported exchange between the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a state legislator whose bill the governor vetoed.
San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano had sponsored a bill which passed unanimously granting the Port of San Francisco financial power to redevelop a former shipyard for a new neighborhood known as Pier 70.
Ammiano also had made something of a scene at a Democratic Party fundraiser early this month in San Francisco at which Schwarzenegger, a Republican, had been invited by former San Francisco mayor and Assembly speaker Willie Brown, a Democrat. This surprised many, in light of the heated budget wars between the governor and legislature.
Ammiano could be heard invoking the cry of Republican South Carolina's Rep. Joe Wilson at President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress - "You lie'' - as others heckled Schwarzenegger's brief speech. After the governor left, Ammiano took the stage with a rambling criticism of Schwarzenegger for a variety of offenses -- among them the governor's vetoes of bills that would have legalized gay marriage.
When the governor's office delivered a veto-message for Ammiano's own port bill a few days later, on Oct. 12, there appeared to be an unmistakable hidden message within: Reading the first letter of each line of the letter's two main paragraphs:
"My goodness. What a coincidence," a shocked, shocked Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear is quoted by the Associated Press as saying. "I suppose when you do so many vetoes, something like this is bound to happen."
""Kudos to the governor for his creative use of coincidence," replies a humbled Ammiano spokesman, Quintin Mecke. "You certainly have to have a sense of humor in politics. Unfortunately, this humor came at the cost of the Port of San Francisco."
Of eight bills which Ammianos sent to the governor's desk this year, Schwarzenegger has vetoed six -- five of them after the Oct. 7 heckling incident. Still, Ammiano's spokesman says his boss wants to move on: "We will call it even and start with a clean slate with the governor from here on out.''
And we thought things were getting out of hand in Washington.
(Photo of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at a women's conference at Long Beach Convention Center this week, by Toby Canham / Getty Images.)









Comments
Wow.
Posted by: oh dear. | October 28, 2009 11:41 AM
Mark, I’m glad to see that you reporting included the revised and correct fact that Gov. Schwarzenegger was invited. However, you missed the part of San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano telling Gov. Schwarzenegger to kiss his “gay a**”.
IMHO – Gov. Schwarzenegger was brazen, but handled this correctly.
The San Fransicko liberals are uncivil and hateful toward conservative politics with very little opposition.
I think it’s high time America tell the libs the same thing for going too far and destroying our nation. “Just Say No” to today’s communists, the liberal left and the Democratic Party.
Posted by: ROFL | October 28, 2009 11:57 AM
ROFL..... I love how you cry the liberals are hateful and unfair as you label an American city San Fransicko.
Precious!
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 12:22 PM
One other thing ROFL.........I served this country in Nam and quite frankly, if you had the (*&(*'s to say that to my face.......I'd open a little communism on your A**!
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 12:41 PM
Hmmmm, technically I believe the abbreviated for a particiular phrase is F and then U. When folks say it the "cleaner way," they don't say F Y, they say F U.
Either way, the Terminator gave the San Franciscan assemblyman something he deserved.
Now, regarding ROFL's San Fransicko rather than Fransciso, I suppose one can take it any way they want. I believe this person may be using the sicko part to reference the city's far left politics and polticians rather than its large population of a particular persuasion.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 28, 2009 12:46 PM
At least we can't win the Most Embarrassing Governor award again this year.
Posted by: Cheryl | October 28, 2009 1:43 PM
John D,
Easy for you to say.
All the evidence is in.
Too bad you are losing
Can't get over it
Really dense.
Only you could object
When will the cons learn?
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | October 28, 2009 1:44 PM
Arnold is the future of Republicans if the party survives this civil war between moderates and the wingnuts.
Right now the wimps struggling to 'right wing' the Republican party out of existence, like the mercenary Armey, Michelle Steele of the New GOP, and Palin of the AIP or any other independence party. This hogwash will all come back to haunt the crowd rooting for America to fail.
Arnold offers a tough moderate, thinking alternative to the rest of the knuckleheads in the GOP. He has a open-mindedness reflected in being open to decriminalization (and hopefully taxing) marijuana, sort of like Ron Paul. Its a practical, liberal libertarian notion that's not bogged down by the reactionary hard right gospel.
Posted by: Lillian | October 28, 2009 2:22 PM
In your mind maybe Lillian but in the minds of tens of millions of Republicans, we are not struggling the party out of existance. You like to label an entire group based on your hate and phoney analogies - the loser is you.
The Chicago Machine tactics of demonizing the opposition, repeating the same lies over and over works pretty well on the sheeple of Chicago but the rest of America isn't falling for your rhetoric.
I bet you voted for Blago the Destroyer twice didn't you!
Posted by: springfield | October 28, 2009 4:22 PM
* * * * *
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 12:41 PM
.
Well, there’s nothing like a total overreaction, now is there?
.
ROFL was after San Francisco liberals in particular. He’s not wrong either.
.
Liberals of the kind that can be found in San Francisco and California are not the same as liberals elsewhere in the country. (At least I hope not.) Some of those in San Francisco are not just anti-war (which is okay) but also downright hostile toward the military in general. San Francisco is a demilitarized zone by design. The bases are all closed owing to that hostility, street names with any reference to the military are changing (i.e. Army St. to Caezar Chavez Blvd.), the S.F. Supervisors have closed out voluntary Junior ROTC in the public high schools, and they rejected the request to host the USS Missouri. Every year Board of Supervisors votes on a resolution to ban the Blue Angels. In other words, bill, these San Francisco liberals act like the hippies who would show up at the docks and train stations just to spit on people like you when y’all were returning from Vietnam. Maybe you should go there, get in their face, and “open a little communism” on their A**!
.
In a State that has a solid 3/5ths Democrat voting bloc, the Democrat dominated State Legislature has a 13% approval rating. Californians blame the Legislature - and not the Governator - for the poor shape we are in. The state has had increased revenues over the past several decades, but the Legislature always finds a way to spend much more than it has. This is why the State is constantly in a state of crisis. If California’s Legislature is the wave of the future, we are all in serious trouble. This is the likely view of ‘liberals’ that ROFL has seen, and about which his comments were aimed.
.
Oh, and BTW - I’m glad to see that a freedom loving Democrat like you would stoop to threats and intimidation to keep people from freely expressing their criticism. Your military service, and your service in Vietnam in particular - however laudable and praiseworthy it is (and it is) - doesn’t give you or any other similarly situated person the right to stifle the free expression of others. Nor does it give legitimate cover for the faults of your party. If you don’t like the criticism, do something to correct those in your own party that draw the criticism you don’t like. Don’t listen to the SEIU.
Posted by: John W. | October 28, 2009 5:06 PM
MSNBC coyly reports on the Governator's FU letter: http://www.gotchamediablog.com/2009/10/schwarzeneggers-brilliant-fuck-you.html
Posted by: Matt | October 28, 2009 5:20 PM
Oh C Morris, as usual you make no sense and are off target. And me losing? Against you nitwits, or is that against y nitwits?
The Left is full of nitwits
Who throw childish fits
They believe in Big Brother
Cause they know no other
Its just the way of the Lefty two-bits
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 28, 2009 6:14 PM
John D,
Big deal.
Under what circumstance?
Zombie politics as usual!
Zebras are the victims, buddy!
Of course you won't agree.
For better or worse.
Forgetaboutit!
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | October 28, 2009 6:45 PM
The joys of being a lame duck.
Posted by: Terry | October 28, 2009 7:39 PM
Well, there’s nothing like a total overreaction, now is there?
Posted by: John W. | October 28, 2009 5:06 PM
You're right John. I guess after fighting for the freedoms of Americans, I have a little trouble with being labeled a communist. I always felt that it was for every American. I just didn't realize that certain Americans didn't deserve them. Liberal or conservative. I guess we need to to let my brothers on the battlefirld know which cities they are fighting for........
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 8:01 PM
bill r.
It appears the Republicans are cutting off more and more of the nation as worthy of deserving Republican support.
The West Coast including CA, OR, Wa.
Chicago and the entire upper Midwest.
The entire East coast including New England, NY, PA, NJ, and more.
John D.
If you would only look.
Don't include the whole phrase.
It's pretty simple.
Only look at the first letter.
Truly you are clueless.
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | October 28, 2009 8:27 PM
Geez, Johnny!
It's
Eat crow
Buzz off
Idiot
!!
Posted by: TheLeninSisters | October 28, 2009 8:48 PM
There once was a tool named John D
His intellect the weight of a flea
He'd send up a posting
That ended with boasting
And proved he's a bagger of tea!
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | October 28, 2009 9:19 PM
C Morris, I will admit that I did not clearly read the memo and what Silva wrote. I originally did not notice that EACH LINE had the letters to spell out the phrase. I was only looking at the first letter of EACH paragraph. It is clear that in my first post that I did not properly read it.
Unlike the Loons on the Left, I will admit when I make a mistake.
However, regarding my own little ditty in the second post, well that is still right on the mark.
I will still give props to the California governor. Basically all you loons on the left deserve that classic phrase each and every day!!
For all the Loons on the Left
Under and over the rainbows
Chavez, Castro, Mao lovers all
Know-nothings on every subject
Your brains fried from propaganda
Oh, what waste of human lives
Utter human embarrassments, you are.
Wow, that was fun!!!
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 28, 2009 9:43 PM
* * * * *
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 8:01 PM
.
If I were you I would have trouble with being labeled a communist too. But I don’t see where ROFL labeled every Democrat or liberal a communist. He wrote, “‘Just Say No’ to today’s communists, the liberal left and the Democratic Party.” Because I can read English, I can see that he’s distinguishing three different but (what he perceived to be) related groups, all of which have their shortcomings. If he wanted to lump them together as being equally coterminous, he could have said, “‘Just say no’ to today’s commie, liberal-left Democrats.” Had he done so, you would be fully justified in being irritated at being labeled a commie. But since he didn’t, your misunderstanding can’t rationally support your ire.
.
ROFL made no suggestion that any particular city deserves less protection than any other. (Sorry C.Morris; you are wrong on this point too.) He expressed his disapproval of certain politicians and persons of a political stripe (i.e. the “San Fransicko liberals”). If you knew how that place was run and what their policies were, you might think the same way about some of them. I’m sure (if he were asked) he would tell you that he didn’t mean to condemn the whole city or those who live there who don’t agree with the local politics. Not all of San Francisco’s inhabitants are as radicals as the Mayor or Board of Supervisors.
.
And furthermore, simply criticizing a group isn’t the same as saying they deserve less than the full panoply of liberties afforded to all Americans. Freedom is a two way street. If everyone is to be free then they must have the right to express their own views and criticisms of others. If the group receiving the criticism doesn’t like what they are hearing, the remedy is to respond with more free speech - but not censorship. ROFL said “say no” to certain groups. He didn’t advocate rounding them up and jailing them. So, yes, you have totally overreacted.
Posted by: John W. | October 28, 2009 11:25 PM
JW,
Can only do so much research for you.
STOP
Have other chores
STOP
Appears to be large US military presence in SF
STOP
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=military+bases+in+San+Francisco&btnG=Google+Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=US+Navy+bases+in+San+Francisco&btnG=Search
Posted by: They Might Be Mimes! | October 29, 2009 7:59 AM
oh Johnnie D -
while i agree you have the intellect of a flea...its not that much weight -
your weight is carried in your belly.
your mind is warped by propaganda from the Righties who wear tighty whities....
its people like you who are tearing this country down. and it will continue. we just cant put too much weight into your thoughts -- besides, you're carrying enough as it is.
go get a job. its what the good americans do.
oh- there arent any out there?
yes there is - i hear McDonalds is hiring.
thats a job you can at least be successful at. your others havent turned out all that well for you now have they?
Posted by: a lefty loonie... | October 29, 2009 11:11 AM
* * * * *
Posted by: They Might Be Mimes! | October 29, 2009 7:59 AM
.
Your research is flawed. The sites you give are for the San Francisco Bay Area, and not for San Francisco by itself. Some of the references are also outdated. Sixth Army Headquarters, Fort Mason, the Presidio, Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, and Treasure Island Naval Air Station on Yerba Buena and Treasure Islands in the Bay, are all closed now.
.
Stop.
.
The only military presence here is the U.S. Coast Guard, which has to be here because San Francisco and Oakland are major ports.
.
Stop.
.
Just Stop.
Posted by: John W. | October 29, 2009 12:39 PM
Oh Lefty Loonie, I do have a job. In fact, all of my jobs darlin have turned out pretty well. And unlike many folk out there, I'm holding my own. How about you???
The real issue is how about you getting some guts, little weasel? Seems like you think you know me, so have some balls, little prancing, ignorant lefty loon and come out.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 29, 2009 2:23 PM
Oh Lefty Loonie, I do have a job. In fact, all of my jobs darlin have turned out pretty well. And unlike many folk out there, I'm holding my own. How about you???
The real issue is how about you getting some guts, little weasel? Seems like you think you know me, so have some balls, little prancing, ignorant lefty loon and come out.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 29, 2009 2:23 PM
Fat
Little pathetically uneducated
Editor of a pos trade rag
Arsehole
Posted by: Trade rag hack editor | October 29, 2009 4:10 PM
I think John D may be correct. There hasn't been a poorly written piece of trash from him at the zone since last March.
BTW lil' donut, we've all seen your picture. 5' 4' 210 lbs of spunk. We're all shaking in our boots.....from laughter.
Posted by: Propane Johnny | October 29, 2009 4:42 PM
Oh Lefty Loonie, I do have a job. In fact, all of my jobs darlin have turned out pretty well. And unlike many folk out there, I'm holding my own. How about you???
http://www.ecpzone.com/publication/bio.jsp?contribId=98
Posted by: copy boy | October 29, 2009 7:01 PM
To the Loon or Loons who have a sick need to follow my every move, here is some news for ya, and I'm surprised it took y'all so long to even notice:
Not my mag anymore. Moved on to bigger and better things. Been that way since February.
Fools make up the lefty loons
Unhinged they will always be
Clueless day in, day out
Kooks one and all
Over the rainbows and through the hills
Fools they will always be
Farces of the human race!
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 29, 2009 7:15 PM
So Lil' Johnny D got sh*t canned from another job?
I'm shocked!....not.
.
Posted by: janet | October 29, 2009 7:59 PM
John D,
It's yesterdays joke now. Too late.
Everybody else got it immediately.
Posted by: C.Morris✧ | October 29, 2009 8:01 PM
Moved on to bigger and better things.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 29, 2009 7:15 PM
#####
Hey John D- i think I saw you at the airport the other day picking someone up in your limo. Bigger and better things, eh?
Posted by: Lefty Lad | October 30, 2009 2:28 PM