Schwarzenegger: "Terrorism is more insidious than communism"

[Q]

Schwarzenegger Lauds Bush on Terror Fight

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer

9-1-04

NEW YORK - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger drew on his childhood in Soviet-occupied Austria to endorse President Bush's war on terror. "Terrorism is more insidious than communism," the bodybuilder-turned-politician said Tuesday in a speech to the Republican convention.

Bush "knows you don't reason with terrorists. You defeat them. He knows you can't reason with people blinded by hate," he said. Putting his star power to work for President Bush in a prime-time address, Schwarzenegger also urged optimism about the country's economy.

"To those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: 'Don't be economic girlie men!'" Schwarzenegger said — a line from a Saturday Night Live spoof of him that he used against Democratic legislators earlier this year.

Schwarzenegger was trying to reintroduce himself as a politician to a country that might still see him as a movie star. The convention appearance was his first chance to give a purely political speech to a national television audience since taking office in California last November.

Schwarzenegger's wife, Kennedy relative and Democrat Maria Shriver, watched from a convention hall box with the couple's four children, aged 6-14. She was seated next to President Bush's parents, Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush, who appointed Schwarzenegger to head the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

"Wow, this is like winning an Oscar — as if I would know!" the governor said when he took the stage to wild applause from delegates who waved signs reading "The Governator" and "Arnold Rocks."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20040901/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_schwarzenegger

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- Two points:

- Republicans have always moaned and bitched about Democratic 'movie stars' when they get involved in politics. The double standard here is astounding.

- And by invoking the word 'communism' and comparing it with terrorism...Arnold is trying to whip up another cold war frenzy in the zealots.

[sui generis]

1. Bring it on McCarthy

can't find any terrorists abroad? Well, then gollee let's start accusing our neighbors of being terrorists. This is a setup for a witch hunt, and not any different in evolution than the McCarthy era communists hiding under every rock.

[MercutioATC]

2. Arnold is afraid of "Communism"? But, that's an economic system...

Does that make him an "economic girlyman"?

I'm sick of people comparing Democracy to Communism. The first is a political system. The latter, an economic system. They really have nothing to do with each other.

[LTR]

3. What's ironic is how much the administration is coddling China

The GOP loves China, human rights abuses aside.

Now it's back to commie bashing? Geez, party like it's 1949!

[tjwash]

4. Thank you.

I swear only about one out of every ten thousand people knows that little fact.

[MercutioATC]

6. My son knew that when he was 11.

His teacher told the class that a Democracy was better than Communism. He told her that a Democracy was a political system and Communism was an economic system. Her response was "Well, a Democracy is still better."

bright kid

[Supersedeas]

5. Grope's reference to apartheid must have been chilling to Cheney and Bush

[dansolo]

7. Arnold doesn't understand terrorism

Terrorism isn't insidious. That would defeat the whole purpose. Terrorism is supposed to be blatant and out there, overt actions that are specifically intended to inspire fear. Facism, on the other hand, is very insidious.

[arbusto_baboso]

8. "You can't reason with people blinded by hate." Sounds like the GOP..

to me. Or at least it sounds like Bush's hard-core supporters.

[Lone_Wolf]

9. He conveniently forgot to mention that fascism is most insidious of all..

Of course reminding people of this wouldn't be in the RNC's best interest.

[skygazer]

10. How about fascism?

which his father the Nazi sympathizer supported and which Arnie is now supporting. Just asking........

[Czolgosz]

11. It isn't just his father . . .

Some years ago, the gay-porn-pin-up himself endorsed and campaigned for a wildly far right nationalist running for office in Germany or Austria. Does anyone have the details on that issue which the "liberal" media has completely ignored? If anyone could help me out with the details, I'd like to pass them along to a group of Republican-leaning Libertarians in Ohio who remain undecided -- I think they would like to know who else the Hun from California has endorsed.

[Kellanved]

13. not AFAIK

Arnold has close ties to the Austrian Conservative Party (I believe even Membership, but I'm not 100% sure). He was one of the few Austrian conservatives going against RWer Haider.
As the Austrian Conservatives later entered a coalition with Haider's FPÖ, it is probably a moot point.

Recently the ties got loosened: The deeply catholic Austrians don't like Arnuld's repub D/P stance.

[GiovanniC]

12. "Economic Girlie-Men"

Yeah, all you girlie-men pissing and moaning about how you can't find a job. Girlie-men unable to pay the rent or mortgage, buy food or medicines. 1.3 million more girlie men just slid into poverty in the last year.

Bunch of girlie-men.