Thread: Gov, Schwarzenegger makes pass at "Latina"

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today apologized for saying the lone Latina Republican lawmaker in California had a "very hot," fiery personality because of her ethnicity, a comment captured on audio tape last spring in his private office.

The governor made his apology in Santa Monica standing next to Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City), the Latina lawmaker whom Schwarzenegger characterized as hot-blooded.

ADVERTISEMENT
Click here to find out more!
"Anyone out there that feels offended by these comments, I just want to say I'm sorry," Schwarzenegger said.

"The fact is that if I would hear this kind of comments in my house, by my kids, I would be upset, and today, when I read it in the papers, it's something when you say things, but it is another thing when you read it in the paper. It made me cringe. It made me feel uncomfortable. And so this is why I thought I should come out and address the issue right away."

On the recording, Schwarzenegger describes Republican legislators as the "wild bunch" and refers to Garcia, casually saying that "black blood" mixed with "Latino blood" equals "hot."

"I mean, they are all very hot," the governor says on the audio recording. "They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."

Garcia said there was no need for Schwarzenegger to apologize.

Schwarzenegger said he had called several Latino and African American community leaders to discuss his taped remarks with them, but did not name them. They understood the remarks were part of an "off-the record conversation, and it was not meant to be in any negative way," Schwarzenegger said.

The six-minute recording, obtained by The Times, captures a meeting with some members of the governor's inner circle last spring. At the time, Schwarzenegger was struggling to persuade Republican lawmakers to embrace his plan to place a measure for billions of dollars in borrowing on the November ballot.

Schwarzenegger occasionally records private meetings so that speechwriters, in particular, can keep a record of his thoughts and cadence. The audio recording obtained by The Times mainly consists of relaxed banter among Schwarzenegger and a few aides, and it offers an unusually candid look at his administration when the doors are closed.

On the recording, Schwarzenegger's Democratic chief of staff, Susan Kennedy, says Assembly Republican leader George Plescia of San Diego resembles a startled deer. That draws a chuckle from the Republican governor, who a moment earlier had referred to Plescia's predecessor, Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, as "Bakersfield boy."

After mentioning Garcia, he goes on to recall a former weightlifter and competitor, Cuban-born Sergio Oliva. "He was like that," Schwarzenegger says.

State Treasurer Phil Angelides, who is challenging the governor for re-election this year, issued a statement this morning saying Schwarzenegger "has used language that is deeply offensive to all Californians and embarrassed our state. His comments reflect a disturbing pattern of behavior. The governor has a responsibility to conduct himself with dignity."

Garcia, responding today to Angelides, dismissed his comments: "The only embarrassment in California today is Phil Angelides' sad and predictably partisan statement."

On Thursday, Garcia and McCarthy called the conversation irrelevant, even funny. Plescia had no comment.

In an interview yesterday with The Times, Garcia said the conversation didn't bother her in the least. She called herself an "unpolished politician" and said Schwarzenegger had shown nothing but respect for her.

"I love the governor because he is a straight talker just like I am," Garcia said. "Very often I tell him, 'Look, I am a hot-blooded Latina.' I label myself a hot-blooded Latina that is very passionate about the issues, and this is kind of an inside joke that I have with the governor."

The meeting probably took place in the Ronald Reagan Cabinet Room, the governor's de facto office that adjoins his smaller official quarters. The conference room faces east toward lush Capitol Park and has a long conference table that serves as a giant desk. The sword from Schwarzenegger's movie "Conan the Barbarian" rests on a nearby table.

Participants were Kennedy, who was Cabinet secretary under former Gov. Gray Davis; Gary Delsohn, a former Sacramento Bee reporter and author who recently became Schwarzenegger's chief speechwriter; and Walter Von Huene, a former TV director who is a close friend of the governor. Von Huene, a fellow cigar smoker and chess partner of Schwarzenegger, also serves as an informal speech coach.

When asked why the conversation was taped, Schwarzenegger said today it was "because I have a certain way of speaking" and because it allows his speechwriters to get the "texture" of his accent into speeches. "So I don't sound like any other politician speaking, I always sound like Arnold," he said.

Schwarzenegger's voice is heard first on the recording. He teases Delsohn and lavishly praises Kennedy as the conversation begins, suggesting that he knows the recording device is on. He calls Kennedy a "major, major champion."

"Got that on tape?" Kennedy says.

"It's on tape," Delsohn answers.

The free-flowing conversation took place amid negotiations over the governor's proposals for a giant public works package. At the time, Schwarzenegger's own party was resisting the sheer size of the plan — the largest in state history — which entailed tens of billions of dollars in borrowing. They eventually settled on a package worth $37 billion, placed on the November ballot.

On the recording, Kennedy and Schwarzenegger review an exchange between Kennedy and McCarthy, the Central Valley lawmaker who was then the lead negotiator for the Assembly's Republicans.

"You really pissed him off," Schwarzenegger says. "But you know something? You pissed him off because it hit home. That's why it pissed him off. People always get irritated; always when you hit something that is the truth, that's when people flame out."

Schwarzenegger says he had to control himself, and tried to be "really gentle" in the day's negotiations with his fellow Republicans. He calls it "dancing the dance."

But he says to Kennedy: "Anyway, so you hit him, you hit Bakersfield boy hard today," referring to McCarthy, who had warned against upsetting the Legislature's minority Republicans.

The governor goes on to describe the negotiating session:

"And then all of a sudden she comes in out of nowhere. She says, 'Yeah, but you are f------ the governor. Everything that means something to us, you're not including."

Kennedy replies: "I couldn't help it. I could not stay quiet."

Schwarzenegger: "I stayed quiet."

Kennedy then says that McCarthy, who is leaving the Assembly this year, ignored the governor's specific requests on transportation funding.

"He doesn't care. There's no price," Kennedy says. "Anyway, don't get me started again. I am glad he's running for Congress."

McCarthy, who in June won the GOP primary for the 22nd Congressional District, said yesterday that the conversation was typical of the honest back-and-forth that was occurring at the time.

"I thought it was funny," McCarthy said when told of the exchange about him between Schwarzenegger and Kennedy. "What is on that tape is no different than what we said to one another" during private negotiations, he said.

On the recording, someone then asks about Plescia, who had been elected Assembly Republican leader but ceded negotiations on the infrastructure bonds to McCarthy. Kennedy dismisses him.

"Plescia looks like the deer that keeps getting caught in my yard when I leave the gate open," said Kennedy, who owns a home in Marin County.

Kennedy then apparently makes a face, and the governor laughs.

"Great look. I love it," Schwarzenegger says. "There was the Academy Award right there."

Kennedy says Plescia has "big eyes that just kinda like stare like a Stepford wife. He's a good-looking guy. Happy. Perky."

Schwarzenegger then turns to analyzing whether Plescia can "control that wild bunch upstairs" — the Assembly's Republicans — "because that is like a very, uh, unique, uh, unruly bunch of guys and girls."

They move on to Garcia, who is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants. On her website, Garcia is described as "born on the Lower East Side of New York to teen parents."

"Bonnie Garcia is great," Kennedy says on the recording. "She's a ball-buster. She's great. Is she Puerto Rican?"

"She seems to me like Cuban," Schwarzenegger says.

"She's not Mexican," Kennedy replies.

"No," the governor agrees.

"But she said something," Kennedy says, "and I thought, I thought she was Puerto Rican."

Then Schwarzenegger offers a theory.

"She maybe is Puerto Rican or the same thing as Cuban. I mean, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."

Schwarzenegger then drifts off into a conversation about Oliva, who once was one of Schwarzenegger's great rivals.

As Schwarzenegger waxes nostalgic about Oliva, Kennedy abruptly says in the background: "I'm leaving."

www.latimes.com

Pathetic. He's totally unfit to hold public office. I mean, he's an ex-body builder and actor, for heaven's sake!! How he ever got to be governor, I'll never know.

I listened to this situation on the John and Ken Show tonight. This is just political. For one thing, it was on the front page of the LA Times. Front page! Plus it happened last March. And who turned the tape over to the Times? Figure it has to be someone within his circle. Also heard Bonnie Garcia come on and talk about it. She works well with the governor and was never offended in anyway and didn't see any reason for an apology. Apparently the only one making big noise (other than the Times) is Angelides who is Arnold's running mate. Sooooo, it is obvious what is going on. The Times just wants to find some reason to discredit Arnold and give Angelides something to mouth off about. I'm not happy with fence sitting Arnold either but this kind of garbage stinks.

I think the man spent too much time on mars without oxygen.

I heard it on John and Ken today too. But I`ll say one thing, I`ll vote to re-elect Arnold before I will that "tax raising idiot" Angelides.

He`s the one we don`t need in office.

americangirl:

Arnold's in office because we wanted Gray Davis out.

State Treasurer Phil Angelides, who is challenging the governor for re-election this year, issued a statement this morning saying Schwarzenegger "has used language that is deeply offensive to all Californians and embarrassed our state. His comments reflect a disturbing pattern of behavior. The governor has a responsibility to conduct himself with dignity."

Arnold is a commoner and not a leader. Californians should have never elected him. They should have been more complete in replacing Davis Gray.. or is that Gray Davis.. or what ever his name is.

Angelines would say anything.

Besides, Arnold was the only canidate.

"Gray Davis" was corrupt.

Ask any member on this board from California.

Gray Davis was a nightmare! He stopped the appeal of prop 187, our big chance to help control this state. He couldn't say 'no' to anyone. He approved driver's licenses for illegals which Arnold reversed the first day in office. There was something he approved with the prison guard system too, like unreal pensions or something like that. I don't know what all he did but he was disastrous! Thus a recall election and things are real bad when recalls happen. When Arnold came along, at that time, it was exciting. Unfortunately he now is more like a lot of polished politicians, nicely groomed and packaged, but it could be a lot worse, a lot worse.