Democratic assemblyman to Schwarzenegger: 'You lie!'
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made an unannounced stop at a San Francisco Democratic Party gala Wednesday night -- and wasn’t exactly greeted with open arms.
When the Republican governor took the podium and began to speak, San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano shouted, "You lie!"
It was a West Coast reprisal of GOP Rep. Joe Wilson’s now-infamous outburst during a congressional address by President Obama last month.
Asked today about his own outburst, Ammiano, a liberal Democrat, said: “It’s not like you’re in a [legislative] chamber and you sit there and suffer. It’s our house, it’s our event.”
“When he got up to the podium, it was totally inappropriate,” Ammiano continued. “He was booed and people walked out.”
Tensions are running high these days between Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers. The governor is threatening to veto the 700 bills he must act upon by Sunday night if legislative leaders don’t strike a deal on upgrading California's water system.
How did the Republican governor end up in front of a Democratic Party event in the first place? He happened to be in the same hotel for a dinner celebrating the President’s Cup golf tournament and heard that Willie Brown, a Democratic former mayor of San Francisco and friend of the governor, was in the building, said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear.
“Brown invited the governor to say a few words at the event so the governor talked about the importance of bipartisanship for a few minutes,” McLear said in an e-mail.
Ammiano, once a stand-up comedian, was not amused. “It was really rude,” he said.
McLear said of the commotion, “We never heard any hecklers.”
-- Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento
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EDITOR'S PICKS:
There's no excuse for what Joe did. There's even less excuse for what Tom did. It's not even original anymore. No wonder he gave up on stand-up comedy. Even if you don't respect the person in office, have some respect for the office.
Posted by: Pablo | October 08, 2009 at 01:57 PM
GO TOM!!!
Give the 'em their own medicine!
Posted by: becky | October 08, 2009 at 02:11 PM
The wonder our State is in such a mess. There should be a code of conduct amongst government officials. Apparently not.
Posted by: jg | October 08, 2009 at 02:45 PM
I think many Republicans would have done the same if Arnold walked into their private party. While it was rule for the Dems to walk out and yell at Arnold it wasn't done during a legislative session
Posted by: Warren | October 08, 2009 at 02:47 PM
embarrassing, he just wanted to shout Ahnold down for no good reason. saying "YOU LIE" doesn't make it true. Joe Wilson may have been out of line, but at least he was responding to something specific in the President's speech about health care. liberal fail.
Posted by: brianguy | October 08, 2009 at 05:41 PM
WHAT DID HE EXPECT?
The guy is a liar, ineffectual, and an egomaniac who has done nothing to work with Democrats. I think it says a lot for how connected with reality and how big the egos are of both Willie and Arnie - did they really think they could bring him to a Dem event in SF & that anyone respects either of them enough to hold back?
Posted by: ReilleyFam | October 08, 2009 at 06:16 PM
What response do you think Gavin Newsome or Jerry Brown would have got at a GOP fundraiser in Orange County????
Posted by: ReilleyFam | October 08, 2009 at 06:18 PM
When Maureen Dowd of the New York Times hears of this she will shove the word "boy" into Tom Ammiano's mouth like Dowd did to Joe Wilson.
This stuffing racist words into the mouths of others works with white folks hollering at white folks, right?
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Puma Politics
Posted by: Okpulot Taha | October 08, 2009 at 11:10 PM
veto AB1200
support HR1207
Posted by: Charlie Peters | October 08, 2009 at 11:58 PM