CatoCooper13
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12:00 AEST Mon Jul 19 2004
AP - Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will not apologise for calling lawmakers "girlie men," despite Democrat criticisms his remarks were sexist and homophobic.
A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the phrase was a forceful way of making a point that politicians were wimps if they let themselves be pushed around by special interests.
Schwarzenegger dished out the insult at a rally this weekend, when he claimed Democrats were delaying the budget by catering to special interests.
"If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers... if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men," Schwarzenegger said to the cheering crowd at a mall food court in Ontario.
The governor lifted the term from a long-running Saturday Night Live skit in which two pompous, Schwarzenegger-worshipping weightlifters repeatedly use it to mock those who don't meet their standards of physical perfection.
Democrats said Schwarzenegger's remarks were insulting to women and gays and distracted from budget negotiations.
"It uses an image that is associated with gay men in an insulting way, and it was supposed to be an insult. That's very troubling that he would use such a homophobic way of trying to put down legislative leadership," said State Senator Sheila Kuehl, one of five members of the Legislature's five-member Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.
"It's ironic that the governor would try to find a metaphor for weakness when his real problem is that we're being too strong," she added.
At a rally Sunday in Stockton, the governor gave a speech almost identical to the one he delivered in Ontario but without the "girlie men" remark.
Spokesman Rob Stutzman said the line was dropped because Schwarzenegger had already sent the message he wanted to send, not because he regretted his remarks.
"It's a forceful way of making the point to regular Californians that legislators are wimps when they let special interests push them around," Stutzman said.
"If they complain too much about this, I guess they're making the governor's point."
©AAP 2004
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What you think of this and how it's being dealt with?
AP - Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will not apologise for calling lawmakers "girlie men," despite Democrat criticisms his remarks were sexist and homophobic.
A spokesman for Schwarzenegger said the phrase was a forceful way of making a point that politicians were wimps if they let themselves be pushed around by special interests.
Schwarzenegger dished out the insult at a rally this weekend, when he claimed Democrats were delaying the budget by catering to special interests.
"If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers... if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men," Schwarzenegger said to the cheering crowd at a mall food court in Ontario.
The governor lifted the term from a long-running Saturday Night Live skit in which two pompous, Schwarzenegger-worshipping weightlifters repeatedly use it to mock those who don't meet their standards of physical perfection.
Democrats said Schwarzenegger's remarks were insulting to women and gays and distracted from budget negotiations.
"It uses an image that is associated with gay men in an insulting way, and it was supposed to be an insult. That's very troubling that he would use such a homophobic way of trying to put down legislative leadership," said State Senator Sheila Kuehl, one of five members of the Legislature's five-member Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.
"It's ironic that the governor would try to find a metaphor for weakness when his real problem is that we're being too strong," she added.
At a rally Sunday in Stockton, the governor gave a speech almost identical to the one he delivered in Ontario but without the "girlie men" remark.
Spokesman Rob Stutzman said the line was dropped because Schwarzenegger had already sent the message he wanted to send, not because he regretted his remarks.
"It's a forceful way of making the point to regular Californians that legislators are wimps when they let special interests push them around," Stutzman said.
"If they complain too much about this, I guess they're making the governor's point."
©AAP 2004
:sure:
What you think of this and how it's being dealt with?
