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Arnold Voted to Cut Aid to Undocumented Immigrants California, August 12, 2004 -- While he's famous for using the Spanish expression, "Hasta la vista, baby," Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger may have trouble endearing himself to Hispanic voters casting their ballots in the upcoming California recall election. The popular gubernatorial candidate has failed an important litmus test among some groups in the state by having favored a GOP-backed measure deemed hostile to immigrants. Schwarzenegger's campaign said he voted for Proposition 187 in 1994. The controversial ballot measure sought to deny undocumented immigrants access to welfare and publicly-funded education and health care. The initiative passed by a wide margin but was later ruled unconstitutional. The lightning-rod issue galvanized the Hispanic community across the state, prompting nearly a million immigrants to become U.S. citizens to take part in future elections, according to the BBC. Hispanic electoral participation in Los Angeles alone increased 27 percent. The "Terminator" has muscled his way into an early lead, with 42 percent of registered California voters favoring him among the motley host of candidates in the running, according to a CNN/USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante – the first Hispanic to occupy that position – stands a distant second behind Schwarzenegger, followed by GOP rivals state Sen. Tom McClintock and businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Gov. Gray Davis last November. Democrats will likely seize on the Proposition 187 issue to steal some of the former Mr. Universe's thunder. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told the Post the Democratic strategy to thwart the "Running Man" is based on "hypocrisy." Schwarzenegger is viewed as a threat to Democrats in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 45 percent to 35 percent. Schwarzenegger says he's "very liberal" on social issues and supports abortion, backs adoption by homosexuals, approves of some gun-control measures and spoke out against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. His most notable political accomplishment to date is the successful funding and championing of California Proposition 49, a statewide ballot that passed by a wide margin in November. The initiative called for dedicating up to $550 million annually for before- and after-school programs, an education issue traditionally viewed as within the domain of liberal Democrats. |
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