Schwarzenegger bashes 'tea party' movement. Is he right?

The political world is buzzing after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger slammed fellow Republicans and the "tea party" movement.

"I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying this doesn't create any new jobs," Schwarzenegger said on ABC's "This Week." "And then they go out and they do the photo ops and they are posing with the big check and they say, 'Isn't this great? Look what kind of money I provide here for the state.' ... It doesn't match up."

The Times' Michael Rothfeld also reports that the governor dismissed the "tea party" movement as "just an expression of anger and dissatisfaction." Schwarzenegger has a private meeting with President Obama scheduled for Monday, in which he is expected to seek more federal aid for California.

What do you think of the governor's comment? Share your comments below.

Photo: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on ABC's "This Week." Credit: Associated Press

Follow the twists and turns of California politics on The Times' blog, PolitiCal.

The political world is buzzing after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger slammed fellow Republicans and the "tea party" movement.

Comments

[Bob Skinner]

Arnie has failed the State of California and the only politician I know giving the big cheese smile with Stimulus checks is him. Arnie's failure was he was not the strong leader like the characters he portrays in his movies, he is the "girly man" that let the useless democrats in Sacramento push him around, or was it his wife.

[Al Ford]

I'm in a quandary.
I will be gaining citizenship this year and I genuinely have no idea for which party I'd support. (I'm a specialist engineer from the UK and I contribute extensively to the US.)

In my personal observation the Republicans are all about corruption and becoming rich on the backs of middle class. In addition they have mouthpieces such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter etc. which are disgusting. They also seem to create gridlock by their negativity and don't want to be bipartisan. There's a very vocal, extreme, anti education, pro ignorance right wing religious intolerance faction.

On the other side Democrats want to take all my tax money and spend it wastefully on extensive social programs. They also like to do anything to protect their seats and fight district reformation. And they do nothing substantiative regarding illegal "immigration" which is destroying California and the rest of the US.

Both parties seem to be heavily influenced by lobbyists and corporations.
It just all seems a mess that the country cannot progress healthily ever again..depressing.

[Jed]

I like his independence. Republicans are more intent on making Obama look bad than actually doing anything for the country.

[spatter]

My impression of the tea bags is that they started for the right reasons, when Bush was overspending. But they got hijacked by a bunch of creepy racists and politicoes who needed to operate under disguised conditions. The tea bags are now composed of a small core of intelligent thinkers with some laudable values who are scratching their heads and wondering how they ever came to be labelled as being a lunatic fringe group, while a large segment of their tea bag counterparts sing the praises of Joe Stack the suicide bomber...

[Alan]

Although many here bash the Governator, he is pointing out the type of hypocracy that tainted things he wanted to do as well. Bottomline, politicians don't know or care who they work for. It all about getting elected then staying elected for the vast majority of public leadership. Its kind of like getting elected to retire in place.

[Dan]

I agree with Arnold

[Jack Tipton]

I think Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the best Gov. in my lifetime. Politics are out of control, there is nothing anyone can do about it.

[Dave A]

Al Ford's description (comment #2) of the two major parties in US politics is spot on! Amazing that a UK fellow sees what so few US citizens do. Actually it's not amazing, the fact that the US folks don't see it is exactly why it's that way.

Special interests are killing this country. Career politicians are destroying it as well. Perhaps the Libertarians have it right, Al. I don't know. I'm a registered independent.

As for Arnold, I think he nails it. California is unmanageable. No one, not even the amazingly annoying Meg will be able to turn this state around for decades. We need to declare bankruptcy. We need to sue the federal government for not stopping illegals at the borders while requiring the state to finance their health, education, food, and work. We probably need to split the state into two separate states, North and South California. After we do that, it's would probably be best just to concede the southern portion back to Mexico... "Viva La Raza!"

[Matt]

The governor is right, but I have no doubt this page will fill up quickly with people complaining that he didn't fix all their problems. It wasn't the governor who voted for all those spending programs and it wasn't the governor who voted for all those tax cuts. The party of personal responsibility blames everyone but themselves.

[ATX]

I would like to personally thank the "Guvernouh of Culifoh-neya" for knocking Texas off of the top of the laughing stock list of states. And to all of you morons who voted your worthless state government into power: bravo. You got what you wanted.

[sitdownandbequiet]

I don't often agree with Schwarzenegger but he sure called this one right.

[kelley]

He's right. They're all a bunch of obstructionists feebly grasping for some means of returning to power. Unfortunately, America has no shortage of imbeciles who believe their tripe. The teabaggers should have got their act together before all the ridiculous Glenn Beck sponsored rallies calling Obama a socialist. They have zero credibilty with the vast majority of the electorate and most people see them as a bunch of illiterate loons.

[Hospitals & Asylums]

Dissolve the Democratic and Republican (DR) party. We need a real multi-party democracy. This bipartisam shenanigan has gone on far too long. From their first debacle in the Civil War, to every custody battle since then, to the only industrialized nation without universal health insurance. The tea party is refreshing and reflects real American patriotism. While I am as disappointed with the Tea Party's ability to confront the injust tobacco tax that hiked the tax rate on handrolling tobacco and small cigars over 2,000 percent, cigarettes a reasonable 159% and large cigars, like Scharzenegger smokes, as the justification for the throwing the Tea in Boston harbor in 1774, no tariffs on Indai Co. Tea. The violent overthrow of the government is not a rational affair and a great deal of stupidity is needed to rally the people to overthrow the violence of the Democratic and Republican (DR) party. I would really like to see the Tea Party run their own candidates, win Congressional, state and local seats and bust up the DR monopoly.

[Barada]

Al Ford, welcome to the US! It sounds like you should be an "Independent". It used to be that one could only vote in the primary election of the party in which they were registered. Now that you can pick the primary you want to vote in regardless of your party affiliation, it doesn't matter as much. The real important thing is to get the facts from as many different sources as you can and then, to make up your own mind. Oh, and it's not what the politicians and parties say, it's what they do that counts. Watch out for the unintended consequences of various positions and policies.

[Mark La]

Al, it is really simple to determine what party you should support. Neither! If you want to be an American then think like one and be independent. The parties used to stand for good things. The Democrats used to be the party that feels those who have more should feed those who are starving and the Republican used to be the party that felt that those who have more should teach hungry people to fish (old proverb). The true answer lies in the middle of both parties original views that those who have means should immediately help those without means by providing from them in the short-term while also giving them a helping hand to make them self-sufficient in the long run. These day Democratic politicians and Republican politicians are more interested in become super rich. Many employ their own family members, live off their campaign funds and set themselves up for super high paying jobs once they are voted out. Also, they have free, yes free health care that all the rest of us pay for, they have expense budgets for being a politician and in the case of a certain Senator in California their own personal, (government provide) airplane, paid for by us citizens, for her own use. They are our Aristocracy. That is why most Americans are more interested in voting out all incumbents regardless of their party.
Most Democrats and Republicans in this country can’t honestly tell you what their party really stands for good and bad. Each party has both.

[omargee]

Why is Arnold not being recalled Like Gray davis was? For the first time I agreed with these things he expressed about the republican party.

[Michael Vititoe]

Governor Arnold has lost all credibility with the American people, particularly here in California! His job performance speaks volumes. One earns respect by example, not words. Why would anyone value his opinion? He needs to return to acting where he’s not required to think!!

[2cents]

my 2cents worth. he's just doing more bashing of politicians and groups rather than problem solving. if the tea party or anything could break the grip of the 2 party system and get the government working for the good of society let it happen.
i like arnold and think he's a fine governor. he's in a unwinnable situation and gets blamed for being weak... i don't think its the case.
on the side.... i listend to Ron Paul on squawk box this morning. i'm in agreement with his views and will support him again if he's around in '12.

[Don]

The Terminator wants Uncle Sam to bail his state out, since he can't provide the proper leadership to get the job done himself. Picking up California's health care costs are a good beginning. Spending money on bailout plans, like the so-called jobs bill, also will benefit his state, especially with the payoff he is expecting as a result of his anti-Republican tirate. No wonder he doesn't like the tea party movement. Time for him to jump into a vat of hot acid...or "let off some steam..."

[steve]

The Governator just wants public funds. His state has never lived within its means and wants everyone else to bail them out of their own stupidity. Arnold is nothing more then a classic suck up. He would do anything for anyone as long as he looks good and they might pick up the bill. He has no more of a backbone then a most politicians, but he stands for nothing. He moves to winds of the mob and special interests.

His own personal grasp of politics is frightening, and the fact that he won the Californian election is even more so. Thank the Constitution that he can't even try to run for president. Not that he wouldn't make it interesting or at least comical. He could have even won. Hallelujah to natural born citizenship.

[eleanor]

Arnold is right. These people are just grumblers who don't like things, but have no alternatives to offer. So they gather in their little groups and complain. There have always been these sour curmudgeons on the fringe. And somehow, eventually, problems get solved by the people who just pitch in and do the work and don't expend their energy on negatives.

[thebob.bob]

Yup! More than 100 Republicans refused to vote for the money and then claimed credit for bringing it home. What a miserable bunch of hypocrites.

Any group that cheers on Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, and Glenn Beck is a radical angry extremist expression of the worst in American politics. I would ask who funds them, and check the constitutionality of the US government deploying "private contractors" for security within the US (Blackwater, Xe)?

Gov. Pawlenty called on these folks to take a 9-iron and break the windows of the federal government. Sounds like advocating the overthrow of the US government by force and violence if you ask me.

[thebob.bob]

Yup! More than 100 Republicans refused to vote for the money and then claimed credit for bringing it home. What a miserable bunch of hypocrites.

Any group that cheers on Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, and Glenn Beck is a radical angry extremist expression of the worst in American politics. I would ask who funds them, and check the constitutionality of the US government deploying "private contractors" for security within the US (Blackwater, Xe)?

Gov. Pawlenty called on these folks to take a 9-iron and break the windows of the federal government. Sounds like advocating the overthrow of the US government by force and violence if you ask me.

[DEG]

Strange to see the typical stimulus left-wing fallacy argument used by a Republican Governor, but it does happen. When your wife overrides your vote to spend money on a new car the decision to spend money has been made. If you are stupid enough to then have nothing to do with how it’s spent, you deserve to drive the green station wagon with the fancy wood paneling on the side.

[D]

Arnold is exactly right!