Transcript: Interview with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
The following is a partial transcript of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's interview Tuesday afternoon with Mercury News Sacramento Bureau reporters Laura Kurtzman and Kate Folmar. Portions have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: So, I'm just curious, this year hasn't gone as well as the first year that you were in office. It must have been a painful year for you, a lot of criticism, a lot of harsh words. And I'm just wondering do you have any regrets about the way that you've been governing this year?
A: First of all, my assessment is a little different because we have been very successful. We have been able to turn our economy around, which was step number one. It always was, you know, to recover, reform and then rebuild. Those are the three steps. So the first step was, out of the three years, was always to turn the economy around, to bring jobs back...We were successful in that. Then I said the second year is the year of reform. Well, judgment day hasn't come for reform. It's on Nov. 8. So how can you say that we were not successful? We don't know yet. On Nov. 8, we will know if step number two is successful. We have put in front of the people our reforms that we believe in, that will reshape California and they will create a positive environment to rebuild California...But right now, you can't judge a marathon in the middle of the race. Right now, you have heard the other side beating me up. Yeah, let them beat me up, that's fine. Let them spend their money. It is up to us now, in the next seven weeks, to get the information out there, to go on television, have our TV spots out there and educate the people and listen to our rebuttal...
Q: But did you really want it to come to this? I mean, you said you were sad when you didn't arrive at a deal with the Legislature (to come up with compromise measures for the November ballot).
A: Yes, because I always envisioned that we would do this together. I always had the vision that we would do the same as we did with Prop. 57 and 58 or with workers' compensation, even though we had to force the issue always, to collect signatures and do all those things...But we did it together. And to me, I love doing things together because I think both parties work very hard and they make an effort and I feel like, you know, both should get the credit if we had been victorious in November. We would have shown in the end that both Democrats and Republicans have recognized that we need reform. But, in the end, they couldn't go there because even though they liked the deal, but they couldn't go there because they need to ask the state employees' unions, the bosses. That's when it fell apart. So that just shows us how much reform we really need...
Q: Forgive me for interrupting then. Do we say that you don't have any regrets from how you've governed the last year? Or if so, could you enumerate what they are?
A: We are very happy with the success that we had. I would also say that there are probably things that I would have done differently if I would have done it again. I think that we have also made mistakes, which inevitably you make when you sit here and you have never done it before. But we always try to correct those mistakes right away and are very open about it. But, I always look at the whole picture....We have done an incredible job with the economy and what we have offered the people. And now I think there's a tremendous frustration in California amongst the people because they feel that we can't go beyond that. That we are fighting here and they thought that, by electing me, the fight will be over. But I always remind people that we have only changed one person. You know, in order to really change things here, you will have to change everybody. ... (Because the people who have created the state's many problems), they're all here. Nothing has changed. So what I'm telling them is that now on Nov. 8, you have a chance to change it. You have the power, you the people. Because the legislators could not do it because they're beholden to higher powers. They could not do it.
Q: How will you make your case though? At this point though, it doesn't even look like you have much left in your campaign account and the unions have millions of dollars against you.
A: Well, you know, I never thought this would be a fight where
I play David. You know, my whole life I always played Goliath and for
now I'm being put in the David category, the little guy fighting the
big monsters out there. And monsters not being ugly, but monsters just
being huge and enormous. And we're going to do it because I think the
people will be behind us....
It's not about me. They try to sell the idea that it's about me. But
don't fall for that trap. Because it's not about me. You know what this
is about? It's about something that's much, much bigger than me and that
is to reform a system that will last for years and years and years. This
is much bigger....
Q: Let me change gears here for a moment, if you don't mind. I'm curious if you, Governor Schwarzenegger or private citizen Arnold Schwarzenegger, if you've have ever attended a gay marriage or a gay commitment ceremony -- a gay or lesbian marriage or commitment ceremony?
A: I can't remember.
Q: You've talked a lot about, you know, being deferential to the courts and to the people, but I'm curious what your personal views are on gay marriage. Are you personally troubled by it, as a father, as a Catholic? Does it bother you, or are you deferring to the wishes of the people, do you think?
A: You know, to me, I have never really felt that strong one way or another because to me, I don't, you know, I'm not personally hung up on the whole thing....But I try not to, as much as possible, not to get my own personal opinion in there. Because, I think that if you represent the people of California and the people of California voted on that issue, and overwhelmingly voted on that issue, and Proposition 22 won, I don't want to be the one that says, `Look, I decide right now your vote doesn't mean anything. And the money that you spent on that campaign was a waste of money and it's gone.' And I think it just shows you also, at the same time, how much out of touch the Legislature is with the people.
Q: But it (Proposition 22) was five years ago, right?
A: It doesn't matter. The only way can redo it -- Look, Proposition 13 was in 1978, does it mean that now we should go, the legislators should go, and re-do Proposition 13? What would you say if --
Q: Well polls show that opinions have changed on gay marriage --
A: You're absolutely correct. I believe that too. But then they
have to go back to the people, like I do. The reason why I have to go
with our budget reform back to the people is because it involves Prop
98. I cannot say, `That was in 1988 and people misunderstood it and now
they think totally different.' No, I have to go back to the people to
get my budget approved because it does have an effect on education. You
know, it will stabilize education funding so it doesn't go up and down
the way it is right now, but it will effect it. And so therefore, I think
that it you want to change that, I have no objection to people going
out and trying to change it, but they have to go back to the people.
That's just the way it works. Thats the way the law is....
I have the utmost respect for gay people, for gay couples....In this
particular case, I'm the governor and I've got to protect the people
of California and I've got to protect the people of California's right
that if they vote there should be no other power that should change it
other than the courts....
Q: So then would you take some sort of pledge vowing not to use the gay marriage veto in --
A: No, I'm out of the pledge business....
Q: But you said you're not hung up on the issue, would you agree not to use the gay marriage issue for political advantage?
A: I will never use it. Did you see me saying one word at the Republican convention?
Q: No, but you know things could always change down the line...
A: No, no, no, no. There is no change. I don't want to set up one group of people against another group of people. No....That's not my style....
Q: How hard was it for you to decide to run for re-election?
A: "You know, to be honest with you, it was not a decision. Because when I ran he first time, I said to myself this is going to be, you know, a longer project if I want to really have an impact on California. There's always two ways of going. One is to settle the madness now on the downward slide that we were on, you know, that avalanche effect that California was on when we went faster and faster and started spinning out of control with the dent that we had and the credit rating that we had and people leaving...But I always thought that the real joy is to rebuild California, because I'm a builder, I love to create and build. I'm a big visionary and I have a big vision for California. And I see this place right now, at 60 percent of the potential and we could bring it to 100 percent of the potential if we start building the freeways that we need to move people around, if we go and build more public transportation, if we create the schools that we need, the energy, the water, if we do all of those things that takes a lot of money to do. I think that is the fun part. Now, it is the hard part, which is to bring the economy back and then to reform the system....''
Q: Has there ever been a moment when you thought to yourself, ``I don't think I want to run again''?
A: No. But you have to understand me a little bit better than
that. Those kind of things don't exist with me. I was never -- when I
was 15 years old and wanted to be a bodybuilding champion, I did not
think at the age of 18 when I was in the Austrian military and training...I
did not say to myself, `You know something, I don't want to really become
a world champion anymore.' That doesn't happen. It's a mission, it's
set, I'm on automatic pilot. So I don't go home and ever debate that
again. As a matter of fact, when someone asks me, I say `where does that
come from?'' My wife still today is shocked sometimes about my commitment.
She said, `Do you really want to go through this? Do you really want
to call a special election?' We have no choice. That's the only way we
create reform and the only way we can build California and create a great
future....
It's not like, should I or shouldn't I? Then you might as well throw
everything, throw the hat in, and say I am not equipped for this job.
Q: But wasn't the timing really intended to get your donors to pony up because you need the money?
A: That's you guys writing.
Q: So why now, why did you announce now?
A: No one, you know that no one has ever called me....Did anyone ever call me to say that's why I am announcing my re-election or that I'm going to campaign again or what is my thinking about it. It's just speculation. But you know how you guys are. You've got to fill your pages. You've got to write your reports. That's OK. My wife is also a journalist. I know how it works. But the reality of it is that it could very well have been that I would have decided two weeks ago that I'm going to announce it on, umm, New Year's Eve.
Q: Why didn't you?
A: If I would have, you would have said, why didn't I announce
it earlier? It doesn't matter what I say, you're like my wife now. Why
do you do this? Whatever decision I would make, you'd say, why didn't
I do it at a different time. I just decided from one day to the next,
I want to announce at the Republican convention I'm endorsing Prop. 75....
I don't work like a politician. That's why I make mistakes sometimes
where people, political analysts, say, `Oh this guy is out of his mind.
Why did he do this, why did he take on so many issues this year? That's
the most common thing I get.
Q: Why did you?
A: Because I'm not a politician, I didn't think about it. That you know, that you count up the things and you do it one step at a time. I'm a very optimistic guy, I'm an ambitious guy...