MAN, THIS GUY'S GOOD

Schwarzenegger supported '94 ballot measure to deny social services to illegal immigrants (SANDRA MARQUEZ, August 10, 2003, Associated Press)

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger voted for a 1994 ballot measure to deny social services to illegal immigrants, his campaign said Sunday -- offering the first glimpse of the actor's stand on a major policy issue.

The Republican has promoted himself as the candidate in California's gubernatorial recall who can best appeal to the state's politically and ethnically diverse electorate.

But Democrats were quick to jump on the disclosure as a chink in the action hero's armor.

The GOP-backed Proposition 187 to deny health care and public education to illegal immigrants was passed by a wide margin, although it was eventually ruled unconstitutional. It remains a contentious issue and a litmus test for some voters, particularly Hispanics, to gauge whether a candidate is immigrant-friendly.

Schwarzenegger campaign manager George Gorton said the Austrian-born actor's vote for the measure would not prevent him from reaching out to all voters.

"He has a lot of empathy for people who have come here for a better way of living, whether they have gotten here legally or illegally," Gorton said. "But he definitely feels that people should get here legally."

He'll have Buchanacons sitting up, balancing beach balls on their noses, and barking for fish bits at this rate. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 11, 2003 5:07 PM