Governator disses Republicans -- lost in translation?

Something about speaking in the native language loosens the lips, which just might explain the freewheeling interview that Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Austrian-born governor, gave recently to the German language publication Der Spiegel. So freewheeling, in fact, that the governor’s office is casting doubt on the accuracy of the interview until it can verify the translation.

In a transcript published in English of an interview conducted at least partially in German, Schwarzenegger called the leaders of California’s Republican Party -- his own party -- “so out -there” politically, saying he has no almost no contact with them.

The comments strained his already fractured relationship with GOP lawmakers to the point that Assembly Republicans wore name tags to a meeting with Schwarzenegger about the state budget impasse this afternoon.

On to national politics, Schwarzenegger labeled the delegates at the two presidential conventions as “the most hard-core individuals.” Though he ended up skipping the Republican convention, he said GOP organizers had wanted him to deliver a biographical speech about nominee John McCain so he wouldn’t “go and talk about centrist politics and maybe rub some people the wrong way.”

Offering an example of such a comment, Schwarzenegger said he respects Democratic nominee Barack Obama, whose candidacy is “a giant leap forward” for the country. “I think it’s incredible that a black man has the chance to become president of the United States,” he said. Still, he would never switch to the Democrats “in this life, and definitely not in my next life, or the life after that.”

After all, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is “a good-looking woman,” who is “feisty,” Schwarzenegger said, wondering aloud “if there might not be something else discovered about her life that can be used against her.”

“It’s enough if you had someone at some point in your life working at your house that was an illegal immigrant,” Schwarzenegger said, volunteering that he might fall into that category himself: “I’ve never done a check on the people who work in the garden outside to see if they have their documentation. I mean, who does that?”

Things get blown out of proportion, the governor said, especially “the story with Palin and her daughter having a baby.” He added: “It could happen to my daughter; it could happen to anyone’s daughter.”

Aaron McLear, the governor’s spokesman, said he could not vouch for Der Spiegel’s transcript because the interview had been conducted at Schwarznegger’s office in Los Angeles on Friday and the tape was on its way to Sacramento for translation.

“I don’t know that he said the things that were reported,” McLear said. “This is a dangerous game of telephone based on multiple languages. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

--Michael Rothfeld

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[vmora]

Arnold is right. Republiklan ideology belongs in the 1800 Century. The word pragmatic, or logic to resolve social issues does not register in their world.

[Tom]

Both the "governator" and vmora just don't get that Republican ideology IS pragmatic and logical, and that they just don't understand it. They apparently don't understand that the state's majority elected party can't control its appetite for spending, and is responsible for all of the state's current budget and financial problems. They've taxed and spent and borrowed and spennt and borrowed and spent even more. The Republicans are saying no more borrowing and spending, and that the state's government has to live within its means - just like vmora has to do at home. What's so 17th century or illogical about that?

[marianna w]

Arnold never checks their documentation? How.... interesting.

[DK]

It's been the Republicans who have been pushing to borrow money as a means to pass a budget. Like that's any better than raising taxes.

[Emperor Norton the second]

The republicans are trashing our environment, our military, or relationships with other countries, our budget, our constitution and our economy.

Why? to help rich friends get richer.

I had a republican tell me how great reagan was, even though he set up Saddam and our current problems with radical islam.

republicans call dempocrats "tax and spend liberals, but they are the ones that made the monster deficit.

We understand republican ideology, but we don't want to be criminals so it is not practical for democrats.

[jimcacts]

Schwarzenegger is the best Democratic governor California has ever had. Thanks California GOP!

[mrok]

ummm, OK. This story sounds like it's made up.

[Daniel, London]

Deep down Arnie knows that the GOP is a party of yesterday, it is a pool of religious fanatics.
The perverse thing is that although they talk about freedom and a government that keeps its fingers and thoughts out of its citizenes' lives, it moves to influence and CONTROL significant aspects of the individual. Wether it is womens' rights, church in the class room or the inability to provide universal health care in one of the wealthiest nations on the planet. It is a disgrace to humanity and therefor to God ( if there is one ).

[David]

Good for Arnold! Thank you for not caving in to immigrant-bashing extremists and religious nuts.

[Daniel, London]

Oh yeah!
And Palin is Bushs' carbon copy.

[nina]

The translation is very loose (not very accurate). For example, the sentence "I have almost no contact with them" is nowhere to be found in the German version: http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/0,1518,576932,00.html

[bc]

I thank God for a strong woman like Sarah Palin (not sara connor) to show these emasculated men how to run a state and maybe if we are lucky our nation. She is awesome isn't she? She will cut spending trim the fat and put other wasteful porkers on notice to watch it. God has provided once again and gives us a choice between good and evill. i don't want expanded state funded abortion more taxes. I work enough months now to break even

[mucker]

So Tom, The Federal deficit got that way how? Would it be from a pragmatic and logical president?

[Terry, Los Angeles]

Poor Arnold. There he goes again. Too much honesty for his own irrelevant party.

Is there anyone left on the planet who believes the GOP favors restrained spending? It only applies to programs they don't like or that doesn't line their friend's pockets. They've single handedly taken the peace dividend from the 90's and resurrected the military industrial complex through deficit financing. During their tenure in DC they've spent like drunken sailors, spending our grandchildren into debt.

Revisionist history notwithstanding, the takeover of the state GOP by the radical right is complete. It is why it will remain a fringe party in California for years to come.

[Kaye Reeves]

Tom, I don't know how you come up with the word "pragmatic" to describe the Republicans in the Legislature. Contrary to all notions of democracy, the minority rules here in California. These Republicans in the Legislature have held all of us hostage for two months, are bent on killing small businesses who have contracts with the state, and obstinately refuse to put up a realistic budget proposal. If this weren't a general election year, it would be a great time to recall every last man jack of them who refuses to govern responsibly. You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

[krw]

Ever get the feeling that nothing works? Not even the Governator! Maybe he's come back from the future to save us, but has discovered California is not a movie set after all? In the meantime let's all agree that NO ONE is indispensable! OK? This isn't really asking too much is it? Looking around at ALL our pols from top to bottom I'd say they were the least indispensable of any group.

[Van der Graf Blog Generator]

I'm glad we have a centrist Governator. I think he's an example of someone not beholden to any political party or special interest group. He says what's on his mind and doesn't care about what the reaction will be.

We have a state legislature that is completely broken. We have no state budget. Why? Because with the way the current districts are drawn (by the legislature, I might add) there is no consequence to not doing your job and governing the state. None of the incumbents can lose regardless of how bad a job they do. I'm guessing Arnold has somewhat "checked-out" on the ineffective broken process.

[Leslie]

"a dangerous game of telephone"?

Could it be that the Governor's spokesman is a sort of wannabe politico who has trouble getting la** at a porn industry party? My word, who in the world speaks like that other than someone getting dissed at porn industry party! Wow.

I wonder how he would react to the phrase "playing doctor"?

[derek jacobs]

Could he just take responsibility for his own words? Arnold is such a coward that he's trying to back away from his statements by falsely claiming "translation errors". How many times have we heard a politician use that ruse? Maybe we should recall this fellow.

[Susanne Modeski]

The interview was conduicted "at least partly in German"? Schwarzenegger's native tongue is German, the interviewers were German, and so is Der Spiegel. Why would they speak English? Of course, the whole interview was conducted in German.

if there was any "mistranslation", it happened after the interview was published. Also, the interviews in Der Spiegel are not only taped, the people interviewed can read them before they get published, so Arnold knew exactly what he was saying

[Mike]

"Arnold is right. Republiklan ideology belongs in the 1800 Century. The word pragmatic, or logic to resolve social issues does not register in their world."

Well, he is right, but reread what he said: The delegates at BOTH conventiions were extremists.

[Rob]

This is, indeed, a terrible translation of the interview. For example, the translation says, "The speech I would have given is the one that Fred Thompson gave." In the original German interview (link below), Schwarzenegger doesn't even mention Thompson. He does say that California Republicans are out of the mainstream, but he does not say, "I have almost no contact with them."

http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/0,1518,druck-576932,00.html

[GREG]

Bravo Arnold, for sticking with centrist policies & not getting stuck in partisan politics. Arnold should run for Mayor of LA, after his terms as Governor are completed. Sure, it's just a single city -- but it's one of the most important cities on the globe, has a non-partisan government, and requires an oversize personality to run it. Arnold would clean house at the City of LA. Awesome!

[peter s]

I hope he did say these things as reported-because they're TRUE.

[BG]

I don't care what anyone says< I like Arnold! Especially when he stands up to that nazi union CCPOA!

[Trannny]

Put some lipstick on it Arnie.

That worked well for the dems today. (not) First the "one," and his pig, then the congressman introducing Biden, then "I never won an election" Bob Shrume. They all had their not so "nuanced" pathetic lipstick talking points today. Doubt if they will be the ones laughing tomorrow, Sally at the checkout counter, Lilly at the hair salon and the office receptionist, they all got it, and are not happy campers. Got to hand it to the democrat team, they sure know how to urinate the very women they are so desperately seeking. Love the smell of loser's flop sweat in the morning, smells like, GOP victory. Lipstick on a pig at urban dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lipstick%20on%20a%20pig

Have you heard that McCain and company are going to open up several campaign offices in CA? This while Obama is pulling his money out of AK, NC, (up 20 points GOP) MT, then there is OH up by six GOP, PA all but tied, FL is tied, MI looks like a toss up and the prognosis is even worse for some other BG states) . With his $ drying up, the "one" is going to make for 40 fundraisers, he is even screaming at his $ raising team to get more $ from IL donors, it is making him look bad. This while McCain and Sarah slipped in almost unannounced into his Chicago backyard last night and raised a cool five million for the RNC in about an hour.

Myself, Obama I cannot thank you and your MSM hirelings enough, please keep up with the lies against Sarah, without the billion dollars worth of free PR, we could never have tied the "one" for viewers at her terrific and electrifying speech. With your continued loss of sanity we are assured to sweep into the WH, all the thx to you.

Those the GOD's would destroy, they first make mad.

[Klesb]

Recall! Recall! Recall

He is making former Gov. Davis almost look good!

Recall is the way failing CEOs are dealt with.

You don't wait until the organization goes completely bankrupt!

We, the Board of Directors, need to do our duty, and fire the failure!

[MICHAEL]

I'm ready for another recall.

Maybe this time we can get it right and elect a true blue conservative.

The only difference in this liberal and the last one is his party affiliation.

[David Beattie]

Well, "Emperor Norton the second" gets it 100% wrong when he blames the Republicans for the budget problems. I lived in CA for 12 years with Dem Governors and congress and we never had a budget in on time for the 12 years I was there. They kept spending too much, so they could never balance the budget.

As far as the federal deficit, the Democrats had Congress for 20 years before Clinton was elected and that was when the Republicans took charge. Funny how the Democrats always credit Clinton with the best economy, never mind that the Republicans voted on the budget and the President is just a figurehead. He can't enact laws, legally.

Speaking of Clinton, I guess the Democrats won't sanction using Americans to help sort out problems overseas, whether or not we helped start them. They would rather someone like Clinton just murder 80+ Americans on TV. Lest you forget, those Branch Davidians were never given a fair trial, just executed along with the victims they were supposedly molesting. Dear Democrats, I was molested when I was 15 but I wouldn't want you to kill me and my molester, then or now. Oh, but wait, the only charges the remaining Davidians were convicted of were misdemeanors. Well, maybe we should change the death penalty to include lesser crimes now. Way to go, Democrats! Let's have more change like that! I recommend one for bouncing over 100 checks. Let's get Barbara Boxer to the front of the line for the new executions.

Personally, I think a lot of Republicans spend too much, just like the Democrats. That might explain why I'm registered as an independent. I do find, however, that the Republicans lie much less frequently then the Democrats do. Then again, they have to in order to rewrite history about Jimmy Carter, the recession in the 70s, etc.

[Bobc]

It doesn't matter to me what Party he belongs to. Any Governor that has allowed illegal aliens into their State, take taxes to help illegals and then wants to raise taxes to boost up their coffers, is to me, a poor choice for a Governor.

Tax payers are fed up!

[Bob]

It is Arnold Schwarzenegger who is "so out there" that he is no Republican. I'm not sure what he is, but it's not Republican and certainly not conservative. RINO?

[Daniel]

Ahnold, you're a democrat dog, so why don't you go to that party of rats, you rat. You are not a republican by any stretch of the imagination. You're the one that's out of touch with the GOP, go be a democrat whey you won't be out of touch with your party, just out of touch with the country.

[thl]

while he says he would never 'join' the democrat party, methinks his wife's ideals have rubbed off on him after 22 years of marriage. while he's fiscally conservative, i'd definitely say he was a social liberal...quite european, don't you think?

didn't he have some great things to say about mccain a while back...they were agreeing on the environment or something. funny how for the last 8 years everyone (left mostly) had so many nice things to say about mccain (remember it was thrown around that he would be picked by kerry as running mate) and now that he's at the top of the ticket he's being villified. regardless, it would seem that these days it's arnie who's so far out there from the party he claims to be a part of.

[Ricky Rabinowitz]

We need a centrist party here in the USA, one which moderate politicians like, say, Schwarzenegger and McCain and Lieberman and Bloomberg, can belong to without having to pick someone from the left or the right to "appease" their "core constituencies" as veep candidate. America is a Purple Nation.

[Todd H.]

US Treasury Income Tax receipts are up 20% over the Clinton admin with Bush. The problem isn't taxes...its republicans AND democrats who like to spend money. Buy an alarm clock, rise from your leisurely slumber and contribute before you destroy us all. Stop voting for politicians who rob the productive to give you something you didn't earn. The government is a guard dog to be fed, not a cow to be milked.

[Louise]

Arnold was never a conservative. He is a RINO. His wife and in-laws are all extreme liberals and they have definitely influenced him. He didn't fool all of us.

[lew]

People... get a clue

1. Arnold isn't conservative in ANY manner whatsoever. CA's budget is a monstrosty thanks to his rubber stamp along with Arnold and the Democrats since they control and have controlled the state.

2. There is a centrist party he, McCain, Bloomberg and others like them want. It's called the Democratic Socialist party. Oh wait... they just have to switch cards.

3. Neither the Dems nor Repub's are conservative.

4. Bush is a RINO along with the vast majority of Republicans seated.

5. The people "killing" the environment are well, all the people using resources. Beautiful people like Babs, Arnold, Gore, McCain and others who only drive in SUV's, own 2,3,4 or 10 houses.

Waste food on a regular basis, etc...
Do you go to the movies? How much gas did that take?
How much does Hollywood use in a movie?
How many things do they blow up in a movie? How does that affect the environment?
How many computers have you thrown out this year?
How many overloaded meals did you have today?

[GJ Tryon]

Dummkopf!

[MF]

"America is a Purple Nation." Not really. It is a nation of some very red, some very blue, and various mixes that are all called purple. The thing is that purple covers a multitude of conditions - some are very fiscally conservative, while socially liberal (like the Guv). Then you've got the Catholics, who are mostly united in being against abortion (a red position), while also against the death penalty (a blue position), with any number of combinations on other positions. There are obviously many other mixes. They are all called purple. But to call it purple dismisses the fact that there are a very large percentage of nearly completely red and another very large percentage of nearly completely blue.

[Rick]

Do you people really think Liberal positions are new and Progressive? Are you that lacking in historical foundation that you think both conservatism and liberalism are NEW positions? Don't you think the meaning of right and wrong ,good and evil have been decided long ago. Do you Democrats really believe aborting our workforce of the future and taking from workers to give to takers is a wise and enlightened position.Do you really believe that taking the fear of God and corporal punishment( Math,science and history) out of the schools has made well balanced responsible citizens ready to meet the challenges of a world ruled by tyrants and despots.America is the one and only shining light on the face of the planet that is able to stand up to the vile and the truly evil. I know you all think America is the problem but woe to the world without her. Can you imagine the carnage of the twentieth century if the likes of Hitler ,Mao, stalin ,Pol Pot, Idi Amin,ect.,etc.,etc.were to have had free reign.We are under siege from athiests ,anarchists, communists, traitors and criminals from within the Democratic party. Yet you want to attack your well meaning neighbor instead of your mortal enemies. I think that, for the common good, stupidity should be punished and ridiculed not promoted as a lifestyle. And the day is fast approaching that you will be called to account for your positions.

[C.Cannon]

For goodness sake how long is it going to be before everyone realized that the governor of California is a RINO ie.. A republican In Name Only! The only thing that is saving the state from total financial meltdown is the Republican miinority in both houses! If this is ever eliminated and the Demos get full run the state will melt down totally and people will be bailing out by the millions!

[Teal]

Wow.. the Reb party is like a breath of fresh Status Quo. A newer fresher gender -> ok look, it's the status quo!

It's nice to know that Schwarzenegger gave the high-temperature thumbs-up to Palin. You know.. it was a big journey for the McCain gang Reb party to get to this level in their VP choice:

The decision was tough... soul-searching tough. There was face evaluation, a hairstyle evaulation and a figure evaluation. So Lingle apparently did not make the cut. And the person could not be toooo gorgeous- lest they threaten the women crowd. So they got it.. a relatively younger but not too young, not-overly thin yet athletic brunette with specs: cute enough for most guys... but not too cute for the ladies. Leak in a past cute pageant photo record, so there is "proof of high-temperature", just in case someone disputes. So Palin was it.

McCain finally did it right.. as Rush L. gave a true high-temperature thumbs up. Trump should be giving his thumbs-up high-temperature evaluation.. the Reb party hopes it comes soon.

[Chantal]

I do hope the translation is accurate. No Republican would want CA's governor as a member. Neither would any self-respecting Democrat.

The man has driven the state into the ground; gangs, crime, and illegals are rampant and increasing; most of the state resembles a thrid world country; and, the governor's management abilities (or lack thereof) are the equivalent of those who run third world countries.

He is truly the poster-boy for Dereliction of Duty.

[Eric]

I can't wait to sign the petition to recall that clown. He's a typical liberal, signing laws to impose strict environmental regulations on my 40mpg motorcycle while commuting in his Gulfstream jet, and campaigning on Republican fiscal promises, but running a government that spends tax money worse than his liberal Democratic predecessor. If I want more fantasy from that clown, let it be from Hollywood, not Sacramento.

[Gary Wayne]

I lived in California for 49 years and saw it go down the toilet. The Democrats taxed and bullied so many businesses out of the state that nothing is left but Hollywood and Mc donalds type jobs. That is why millions of taxpayers and Republicans have already left. I too thought Arnie would be good for California but iIwas wrong. He is really just an actor with a liberal bent. Our fore fathers were brillant men in not allowing foreigners to run for president. To bad the state does not have such a prohibition for the govenors office.