This is crossposted to blogging.la.
In addition to countless lies, denying basic civil rights to gays and lesbians, and calling an unnecessary special election with powergrabs that masquerade as "reform," I present yet another reason Arnold Schwarzenegger makes me want to puke. Last week, while firefighters were battling the Topanga fire, the Governor flew in for a George Bush-esque photo-op, and several firemen say they were ordered to stand with him for the cameras.
It’s an outrageous insult to firefighters to force them to pose for a photo-op with this idiot, who is doing everything he can to silence their union with prop 75.
A few firefighters were bold enough to complain they were ordered to stand behind the governor against their will on the day of the news conference, KCAL 9’s Linda Breakstone reported. Seven more came forward Wednesday.
“We did not want to do it,” Los Angeles County firefighter Greg Alldredge said. “Then it came down as an order directly from above.”
Firefighters were "ordered and forced" to participate, Alldredge said. Rank-and-file firefighters were very displeased with "having to shake hands with somebody who really doesn’t support us.”
Schwarzenegger’s press secretary says "No one from the governor’s office ordered anyone to do anything.
Could it have come from his campaign office, and not his Sacramento office? I guess it could depend on what your definition of "office" is.
Updated: via comments, I see the Governor’s incredibly compassionate, thoughtful, appreciative response to the firefighters’ criticism:
Schwarzenegger later brushed off criticism of the stunt. He says everybody is ordered to do things at one point or another. He also pointed out that "as a matter of fact, in one of my movies, I played a firefighter."
It’s almost like the word "asshole" was invented specifically for him. He played a firefighter once in a movie, and we’re supposed to believe that fact is somehow relevant to anything.
Well, actually, it is. It shows how arrogant, out of touch, and clueless this coddled celebrity who’s playing governor actually is.
Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The most terrifying part is that some people want to make him POTUS. When I think that no one could be worse than BushCo, I remember Arnold.
What an ass.
I used to think Arnold was a swell guy. Until he actually ran for office and then the truth came out. I don’t live in CA but I feel for you.
In general, I just feel like I live in a completely different country now. Like we’re in some alternate universe/reality gone wrong. Half the country now hates the other half and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were close to civil war…
Wish we could find a way to go back. Isn’t there a STTNG episode that we can reference to and switch us all back? I seem to recall something about alternate realities in an eppie or two. Quick, everyone check your DVDs!
Oh.. you HAVE to try this. It may not work anymore after a few hours but someone told me about this:
Go to Google and type in “failure” (no quotes)
Click on “I’m feeling Lucky”
HAAAAAAAAA
I completly share your disdain for how remarkably “fake” the Governor is. It seems like every word that comes out of his mouth is carefully chosen to have the maximum intended political effect. You have to wonder if anything he says is really what he thinks or belives.
With that said, though, I don’t disagree with his justification for calling the referenda that he has called. No matter how I feel about the issues posed in the referenda, I agree with the argument that if the people are in favor of an issue, but their elected representatives aren’t, then the people’s will should win.
I also see the argument that the regularly held elections exist so that people can choose those that will represent them, eliminating the need for referenda, but we all know that both political parties are so entrenched that no real independent thinkers (i.e. non-party-liners) will ever get elected into a position of power where they can truly make a difference.
I also agree with the poster who is concerned about all the hatred that has been engendered in our country politically. Our so-called leaders have failed us profoundly, on both sides, by rabidly hate-mongering on both sides… until we’re now in this position of thinking anyone on “the other side” is an idiot who can’t figure out his/her ass from a hole in the ground.
We’re better than this. We were founded on principles bigger than this. But the point of my post was that I think referenda are valid ways for “the people” to express their views. If it’s a mindless power-grab by a power-hungry governor with no real backing, it’ll lose (and he’ll eventually get recalled or just not re-elected). In my mind, the cost of an election is a drop in the bucket compared to the value of the people actually demonstrating that democracy can work.
(And no, I’m not a Republican stooge… I actually believe in Democracy without having to belong to an extremist group.) Wow. What a long post… sorry if it’s long on the eyes.
He played a firefighter in a movie …
Well, he has spent a lot of time hanging around with the same type of people that thought giving Wesley Crusher a promotion was as good as giving a real-live person a raise.
He may not share the same sense of reality that a lot of us do.
(And no, I’m not a Republican stooge… I actually believe in Democracy without having to belong to an extremist group.)
Wow, ther VineyardDawg. So the Republican party are extremeists??? WTF do you think the Democratic party is? They don’t have extremeists??? If you think that, then you are just a STOOGE. Period. So much for being “concerned about all the hatred…”
Get a clue.
Uhh . . . no.
You can disagree all you want, but name-calling and flaming will NOT be tolerated.
Go Wil!
I feel your pain…I lived in Texas the last 14 years. I had the wonderful Ann Richards and then my friend, W.
Nothing like a governor to screw up your education system, your state/civil employees, gay rights, foster care, the list goes on and on.
We’ve moved – thank God – to a place where our votes should count. But then, we have Gov. Blunt here. The Bush wanna be.
I’m so disallusioned.
Where have all the good people gone? We need them to run for office and they’re probably in Canada.
The dumbass also played a pregnant man. Does that mean he should be called as an expert on the abortion rights debate?
What a jackass.
They should have turned the hose on him.
I’m in Colorado, and we seem to have gotten through the worst part of the wildfire season without too much trouble. I hope the firemen in California get things under control soon…provided there are no more time-wasting distractions from the governor’s office…
He also played Danny DeVito’s twin. Does that mean that he’s an expert on tunnel-dwelling gnomes?
I want to mention that I am still in agreement with The Late Will Rogers. He is famous for his Partial Quote “I never met a man I didn’t like.” But what made him famous was the ZINGER he mentioned right after that. “…except Republicans… …AND Democrats…”. He mentioned when it comes to Democrats and Republicans spending your money, there’s not a DIME bit of difference.
I believe that we as Americans have LOST FOCUS. We are caught back in Junior High/Middle School where the “Popular People” get all the recognition who we later recognize them too late as egotistical “Fat Bastards” that they really are. It is the same with political parties. People get “locked in” to a party preference such as Democrat and Republican, and vote for the PARTY instead of WHAT IS BEST for America. I say IGNORE the affiliations and pay attention to the person themselves. As for California’s Governor, I think that if there is a problem, instead of Bitchin’ about his ineffectiveness and grandstanding, we should Write, Fax, E-mail, Call, and be more PROACTIVE in OUR stance and let him know what we want from him. He needs to remember that WE are HIS boss (and NOT the other way around). “When the people lead, the leaders MUST follow.”
Oh, as for the comment of Danny DeVito being a Tunnel-Dwelling Gnome… NOT COOL.
KCBS website…Arnold and the monkeys are freaking me out.
The Governator in CA may be a weasel but the Governor of NC is a hippocrite. When gas got to 3.49/gallon (yes indeedydiddlydoo)he declared that on Labor Day Weekend, please try and keep unnecessary trips to a minimum to spare gasoline, etc etc. He promptly turned on his heel, got in a state owned helicopter and flew three hours down to his beach place at the coast for the weekend. He’s a possum-f*cking Ass-Hat…
(Sorry for the cursing, Wil)
(P jumps off soapbox and heaves a great big sigh)
Pookie
Lets not forget that he also played a heartless machine bent on the total annihilation of a woman and anyone who got in his way. Or a barbarian that killed anyone to get his point across. So when is he going to start posing with death row inmates? “I played a killer once.” I kinda wish that he had played a politician once. He could have used the practice. . . not that I think it would help.
btw Wil I like the clean look. Good luck with the WWdN mess. I do not envy you.
I’m sorry, not to detract from the converssation at hand (to which I’m in full agreement, Governator=Schmuck/ Republicans & Democrats both need to chill). However, I just wanted to take my hat off to pookie, who just made me spit out my drink with the phrase: Possum-F*cking Ass-Hat.
Impressive.
Hey pookie
we Downunder possums take umbrage with that!
Wow, what an assbag. Like a lot of people, I used to think Schwarzenegger was pretty cool, until he decided to try this governor thing. :oP
I think we are all forgetting Arnold’s magnum opus here: Kindergarten Cop. That role could make me forgive him for a lot of things (current politics aside).
Just remember, it may suck but, “it’s not a tumor.”
I wondered why there was no new blog for a week.I did not log on until today to find you in exile.I thought you could be working on some great new acting “job”….I don`t know if you have any actors reading your blog….But,being that you are in exile and all.I thought if I would ask you about working with Robert Ito on stng….His agent in Toronto,Canada is Warren Beatty of aab talent.I have not met Mr.Ito but I have the same agent…Warren Beatty.Warren started working with Mr.Ito when he got The X Files and as Warren put it last March at our first big meeting for the agency,the rest is history.Well…I like your photo….Had a dummy when I was 10,Tommy Talker.I guess we all start some-where….Well…I wouldn`t be doing this if I had more work acting.I`m sure you know what I`m talking about…I know,I do….When I have no work I`m waiting for an audition….Your blog friend in exile Daryl
Yea it is not cool to be forced to show loyalty for someone you despise. For example, I was in the Army under Clinton and I had to be loyal to him and if he wanted a photo op with me I’d have been forced to do it too.
Hi!
It’s good to read news about Arnold from your side of the world.
Here in Austria Arnold still is presented more or less as a hero (more good news than bad news in the newspapers). The “small” boy from the “small” village here nearby now is the “governator” of California.
At the beginning of his duty (like a StarFleet member would call it 😉 ) I think that nearby all Austrians were proud of him. But nowadays also some bad news about him arrived here and so he also loses here his “supporters”.
What I want to say is that its good, that the internet works and that I think that Arnie belongs to some Action movies but not to politics.
Btw. – being so proud of him Graz named a football stadium after him:
http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/austria/graz_arnold_schwarzenegger.shtml
Greetings from Austria,
Gerhard
When can he be voted out of office??
oh wait – who would run against him & then who would be better??
why can’t we vote for someone good instead of for the lesser of the 2 (or more) evils??
I’m very glad that I”m not in CA
“Could it have come from his campaign office, and not his Sacramento office? I guess it could depend on what your definition of “office” is.
Some people might define “office” as the bathroom, which is likely where the order came from as this is probably where most of Shwarzenegger’s policy comes from.
Thanks for the flameshield, Wil. 🙂
Just for the record, though, ninjabob, I think extremists run both parties, not just the Republican Party. (And who said the Republican Party is the only one who believes in Democracy? Besides the Republicans, I mean.)
I’m not very big on either of the parties… I’m much bigger on the concept of America. You know, freedom and self-governance and all. 🙂
Baloney, California politics has been jammed up enough. It is about time a governer and their team take on the unions and their stranglehold on state funds. As a state employee and a forced union fee payer, I hate the fact that a portion of my fee goes to political causes that I do not believe in, nor should the union be involved such causes. Vote yes on 74, 75, 76, and 77 do something positive for the states financial crisis. Read your voter’s guide. Visit joinarnold.com for more detailed information.
Well if there’s one thing the Gubernator doesn’t have a problem with, it’s “vollowink orders mein fürher”
Clearly he doesn’t understand why anyone else should have a problem following orders, either.
Saw this link on bobharris.com and thought it might be of interest to any Californians reading this:
http://www.savecalnow.com/
Wil, maybe you could spread the word and help to get Arnie booted out! I shook my head in disbelief when I saw on the news he’d been elected Governor. Here’s your chance to get rid of him!
Arnold makes the Baby Jesus cry.
I respectfully disagree on your conclusion about Arnold. I truly believe he is doing his best to try to improve California. This State is in an awful fiscal mess because of over-spending and non-accountability of our leaders. The referendums on the ballot this year are all steps in the direction to improve financials in the State.
As far as civil rights, I am a gay man after all, I was not mad at Arnold at all for his recent veto on the gay marriage bill. Arnold has always said that he wants the people (or a judge) to make this call, not him. I respect him for maintaining his positioning, even though I (of course) would have loved to see him sign it in to law.
But, you neglected to mention the positive civil rights bills that he did sign into law. Arnold signed 4 landmark gay rights legislation into law the same week he vetoed the other. AB2208 requires insurance companies to offer coverage to registered Domestic Partners. He also signed the Omnibus Hate Crimes Act which creates the definition of hate crime that includes crimes against indiviudals based on their sexual orientation.
But back to the point. We elected Arnold because we wanted change in this State. We wanted our State to get back to being fiscally responsible. Yet, when Arnold tries to make those changes, we all have somehow forgotten WHY we elected him in the first place!
We have returned to our complacent complaining selves.
I, for one, support this Governor. Considering he governs a State that is predominanlty Democratic, I am surprised he has lasted this long. And that’s the problem. This all ends up being about politics and NOT about the best interest of our State and people as a whole.
As for the firefighter thing, all employees should give the Governor the respect he deserves. He holds the top office in this State. Firefighters who refuse to support a “photo op” should be ashamed to even wear the uniform. You don’t have to support everything the Governor believes in…but people should show some respect when the moment is required of. I’m tired of all this political crap, including the outrageous commercials from teachers and firefighters spitting non-truths about the governor. It is disgusting, and I would hope anyone would do the proper research and understand all of the variables before coming to any conclusions about supporting or not supporting the governor of this State.
Sorry if I repeat what someone might’ve said…
This guy *thinks* he’s the next Ronald Reagan or something. Just because he was a movie star turned governor of California. Sorry, but PRESIDENT (nya, nya, Ahnold) Reagan had much more class.
Rrrgh! I actually like Bush more than this guy right now. Rrrgh!
Sorry to vent, Wil. 😉
California Voter’s Guide for this election is at:
http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov