OAKLAND, California, Sept 23 AP - Actor Warren Beatty has levelled a blistering political attack against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He accused him of governing by show, by spin, by cosmetics and photos ops'' while imposing Bush administration policies on California. Beatty made his remarks at a convention of the California Nurses Association, an organisation that has emerged in the last year as one of Schwarzenegger's most vociferous critics. Beatty, a Democrat and longtime political activist who has been mentioned as a possible challenger to Schwarzenegger in next year's gubernatorial race, did not announce his candidacy as many in the boisterous crowd had hoped. But he indicated he hadn't ruled out a run, and said he would continue to speak out on important issues. I believe if a private citizen is able to affect public opinion in a constructive way he doesn’t have to be an elected public servant to perform a public service,’’ Beatty said.
He levelled several sharp jabs at his fellow Hollywood celebrity and congratulated the nurses for challenging Schwarzenegger’s policies.
You ... have given this administration the massive enema it deserves,'' Beatty said, and shown California just what this governor, his administration and his policies are full :eek: of.’’
Beatty used most of his address to rail against the governor’s year of reform'' ballot initiatives and the special election he has called for November 8. The initiatives, which would curb the power of the Democrat-controlled legislature and public employee unions, have spurred angry protests from union activists around the state. Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson said: We don’t care that much about Warren Beatty, and based on his ticket sales from the past generation, I doubt anyone else does either.’’
Schwarzenegger wants to enact a state spending cap, strip lawmakers of their power to draw political boundaries, require public employee unions to seek permission from members before using their dues for politics, and make it harder for teachers to get tenure.
The nurses union has been among the governor’s most forceful critics, after he sued to block changes in the state’s nurse-patient staffing ratios.
He called the nurses special interests'' whose butts’’ he is always kicking.
Beatty implored the audience to campaign against Schwarzenegger’s initiatives, which he called union busting'' and fascist.’’
The crowd frequently interrupted Beatty with wild cheers and standing ovations, yelling Run, Warren Run!'' and Stop Arnold!’’
Beatty has spoken out several times against Schwarzenegger in the last year, most recently in a speech last May to graduates of UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.
And at an awards dinner in Beverly Hills last March, Beatty said Schwarzenegger should terminate'' his fundraising and dinners with the brokers of Wall Street’’ and the lobbyists of K Street'' in Washington. Beatty played a senator in the 1998 movie Bulworth’’ and entertained the idea of running for the presidency six years ago.
And the circus that is American politics continues…