MzWings
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Schwarzenegger UNinvited....
« on: Sep 7th, 2003, 9:52am » |
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 Schwarzenegger's Invitation to Lead Mexican Parade Withdrawn
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,96639,00.html
Sunday , September 07, 2003
By Major Garrett
LOS ANGELES — Organizers of Los Angeles' Mexican Independence Day parade twice invited Arnold Schwarzenegger to be grand marshal before formally rescinding the invitation a day before the event, Fox News has learned.
After asking the international film star and California gubernatorial candidate to serve as grand marshal, organizers later reduced Schwarzenegger's role to riding in a vehicle well back in the parade sequence. Schwarzenegger accepted the diminished role, but when told Saturday he could not participate at all released a blunt statement blaming the withdrawal on partisan politics.
"I was looking forward to being with so many of my friends in the Mexican-American community to celebrate Mexico and its culture. Unfortunately, it seems that the politicians have gotten involved and I have been uninvited," the statement read. "I am looking forward to campaigning in California's Latino communities to share my message of respect, tolerance and inclusiveness. ... I am sure all Californians will see this for what it is, and will rally to my campaign."
Schwarzenegger was asked to be the parade's grand marshal through letters and e-mails, both before and after he announced his candidacy in the recall race. Representatives of the Comite Mexicano Civico Patriotico (Mexican Patriotic Civic Committee) (search) refused to rescind their invitation in writing, but verbally requested Saturday that Schwarzenegger not attend.
The sequence of events takes on larger meaning as the recall candidates vie for the support of California's Latino voters. Internal Democratic polls continue to show Schwarzenegger outperforming incumbent Gov. Gray Davis, who is expected at the parade, and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante among young Latino males, the largest growing segment of California's Latino vote, Fox News has learned.
This development has disturbed Democrats eager to hold on to the governorship, and may have played a role in Davis' decision to sign a bill Friday that provides a driver's license to any undocumented alien who can provide a tax identification number. The principal beneficiaries of the law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, will be young Latino males who commute to jobs in the Central Valley or Southern California.
Democrats last week accused Schwarzenegger of using divisive politics against Latinos, charges that have largely fallen on deaf ears because the Austrian-born actor has not pushed immigration as an issue. He has said he would rescind the new driver's license law if elected, but that position is no different than the one Davis has taken the last two years when he vetoed tougher versions of the bill citing insufficient protections against abuse by criminals or potential terrorists.
(see addy above for rest of story)
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