The Action-Figure Governator

[Elphaba]

Posted: 10/5/05 at 5:18pm

The Action-Figure Governator
by Robert Scheer


California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, it turns out,
is just an action figure. Scratch his buff, plastic
exterior and you'll find a man who lacks the courage
of his convictions--if he actually has any at all.

Even though he "believes gay couples are entitled to
full protection under the law and should not be
discriminated against," according to his office, he
nevertheless recently vetoed a bill that would have
granted them exactly that. Given an opportunity to be
a leader on this historic civil rights issue, he
instead chose to pander to a fundamentalist Republican
base.

"He cannot claim to support fair and equal legal
protection for same-sex couples and veto the very bill
that would have provided it to them," said the bill's
author, San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno. "Words
are cheap. We're looking for action. We're looking for
leadership."

Unfortunately, leadership has turned out not to be
Schwarzenegger's forte, despite rolling into office
two years ago on a surge of popularity. Currently
sitting on a paltry 33 percent approval rating, he has
outpaced even President Bush in the severity of his
post-election free fall. Typical of his fecklessness
has been his handling of the gay-marriage issue, which
has seen him tell TV host Jay Leno that he supports it
and TV host Chris Matthews that he doesn't--without
explaining his position either time.

Like those Southern Democrats who winked at
segregation while claiming to be progressive,
Schwarzenegger wants to have it both ways, insisting
as he vetoed the bill that California is a leader in
"recognizing and respecting domestic partnerships and
the equal rights of domestic partners." Unfortunately,
this is the equivalent of "separate but equal," a
legal palliative that avoids granting the same rights
to all citizens.

Furthermore, he didn't have the decency to also
mention that California became such a leader despite
the efforts of his right-wing supporters. Nor has he
made an unequivocal statement opposing the various
initiatives being proposed for the June ballot that
would not only ban the Legislature or courts from
legalizing gay marriage but would eliminate key
domestic-partner rights currently on the books.

Even some Democrats--such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein,
who said after the 2004 election that the movement to
legalize gay marriage was "too much, too fast, too
soon"--seem to view same-sex marriage as a political
issue rather than an essential civil rights battle.
But that's exactly what it is. In addition to its
financial, care-giving and legal benefits, marriage
encompasses the dignity of commitment--which is
precisely why its use is being so aggressively fought
by the fundamentalist Republican base the governor is
so terrified of alienating.

Schwarzenegger insisted that his hands were tied by an
initiative passed by the voters five years ago. But he
could have shown real courage and signed the bill into
law, and then allowed the courts to determine if it
was unconstitutional. Instead, as Leno pointed out,
Schwarzenegger seized upon Proposition 22 as a
political "fig leaf." It would appear that the
pampered star, used to near-universal adulation as a
bodybuilder, actor and recall-election candidate, is
incapable of taking a brave stand in either direction.
And, as when Ronald Reagan turned a deaf ear to the
first victims of AIDS, Schwarzenegger's decision to
stick his head in the sand instead of seizing this
opportunity to dramatically advance civil rights is
all the worse because we know he is neither a
religious zealot nor provincially ignorant concerning
homosexuality.

Anyone who has worked in Hollywood, as Schwarzenegger
has for decades, knows from daily experience that
partners in same-sex romantic relationships are as
likely as their heterosexual peers to be solid and
productive members of their community. The idea that
they should not be empowered as consenting adults to
make their own decisions concerning marital
arrangements and to receive equal opportunities under
the law is therefore doubly galling.

How wonderful it would have been if Schwarzenegger had
used the lessons of tolerance and respect for gays
garnered from a lifetime of workaday experiences to
help lead the public to a more enlightened view. Alas,
he failed that test of courage.



This article can be found on the web at:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051017/scheer10>http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051017/scheer10>http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051017/scheer10

Updated On: 10/5/05 at 05:18 PM