Punked Out!

Opening his second term, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will proudly proclaim himself a centrist and eschew the partisanship that he says is the root of political paralysis and voter disenchantment
Translation: "The Democrats kicked my ass with partisan attacks, so now I have become one of them"

"Centrist does not mean weak. It does not mean watered down or watered over,"

Yes, it does.

It will be the governor's first public appearance since he tripped and fell on an Idaho ski slope on Dec. 23, fracturing his right femur. Schwarzenegger had surgery on his leg three days later and is expected to fully recover.

His leg will heal, but he'll still be lame.

Schwarzenegger knows firsthand the utility of a bipartisan approach. He tried a more conservative course early in his first term, souring relations with the Legislature and causing his job approval rating to plummet.

What he really knows firsthand is the overwhelming inability of a political sissy to defend himself against political attack ads funded with the dues of public employee unions.

"No one ideology can solve prison reform or immigration reform or any of the other challenges facing us," the speech reads. "It will take the best ideas of everyone. It will take creative thinking. It will take negotiations. It will take letting go of the past."

No Ahnold. It will take a man with wisdom, courage, conviction,strength, and accumen who doesn't run from the field of battle when they get hit. In other words: somebody else besides YOU.

The inaugural address won't include as many specifics about what the governor wants to accomplish.

Of course not. These will be handed to him by legislative Democrats.

But it lays out a kind of utopian vision of California that Schwarzenegger says is achievable.

Yeah, like his recent proposal to guarantee free health care to wetbacks.

Schwarzenegger will also talk about his multibillion-dollar plan to rebuild state roads and improve ports.

With what money? You've already spent us into record levels previously unseen, and campaigned for, and won, increased debt on top of it all.

And he will refer to a time when government might be rejuvenated because of his push to introduce more competition in state elections.

Just like he refused to campaign in any one of a number of close elections that might have weakened one-party rule, guaranteeing that no incumbent lost, or a single seat changed party hands..

Schwarzenegger's swearing-in ceremony is the coda to a remarkable political turnaround. In 2005, the governor triggered a confrontation with Democratic lawmakers and interest groups, calling a special election in which he tried to curb state spending and impose restraints on the way labor unions spend campaign money.

His political inaction, plus incompetence, led to a first rate asswhipping. Afterwards,he sold his voters down the river, grabbed his ankles, and took it with a smile.

The inaugural address was written by Landon Parvin, a speechwriter for former President Ronald Reagan.

But Ahnold ain't no Ronald Reagan.

Action Hero, Body Builder...Terminator... whatever... I've seen bigger balls on mice.