Bush Taps Calif. Gov. for Austria Funeral

[peterh]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/whitehouse/wire/sns-ap-bush-schwarzenegger,1,3093056.story?coll=sns-ap-whitehouse-headlines

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Thursday tapped California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to represent the United States at the funeral of former Austrian President Thomas Klestil.

Schwarzenegger, an Austrian native, will "lead the delegation" at the funeral, the White House announced.

It did not identify anyone else who will be part of that delegation, aside from W.L. Lyons Brown, the U.S. ambassador to Austria.

Klestil died Tuesday of multiple organ failure.

[Cha]

1. How nice for arnie gropennator...what's he gonna do

when bush goes down in 2005 and he's running in 2006?

[Don_G]

2. Yeah, Well

A fellow "countryman" instead of an actual Representative from the Federal Branch of the US Government will do just as well....

[Retrograde]

3. good for Arnie, but

isn't this the VP's traditional job? I mean, sending a state official ro represent the entire country strikes me as a bit of an insult.

[peterh]

4. “who cares what they think”…..

Protocol to the twit is just another nuisance….

[Snoggera]

5. Actually, that makes sense

I only hope that on his return, he is subjected to intense scrutiny by those brave underpaid souls guarding our security at the international airport.

How intense does that scrutiny get? Hmmmmmmmmm.

[pinniped]

6. Pet Terminator can't make it because he doesn't have enough...

experience.

[teryang]

7. Cheney is afraid to go to Europe

[Kinkistyle]

8. I hope he gets savaged by their media.

I hope Der Gropenator gets hounded and attacked by the Austrian and EU media and has to answer to some REAL journalism, unlike the whores that populate our own country.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Der Blessing in Das Diguise

It's a good idea. Schwartzenegger is the highest-profile Austrian-American we have. Plus, it will be heard as the Bush mouthpieces saying, "Emperor George has better things to do, so bite me, ya dumb Krauts!"

It underscores Team Bush's increasing withdrawl from the world scene. They have developed a bunker mentality, a reality that has not been lost on the rest of the world.

Furthermore, no matter what your feelings are about Ahnold, he has made a name for himself as a Republican who will actually talk to people who disagree with him without demonizing them. This used to be the rule, but now it's the exception, and someone like Schwartzenegger just makes it that much clearer.

I am not uncritical of Schwartzenegger, whether it's his politics or his failure to make amends for his sexual "misbehavior". But by exploiting his strengths, they are highlighting their own weaknesses. Sending a man, so to speak, to do the job that the boys don't give a damn about.

The presence of Republicans like Schwartzenegger, McCain, etc., makes Team Bush look that much worse. I may not agree with their politics, but their refusal to live in the fantasy world of Bush Cukoo Land is the best thing they can do under the current regime -- and it's proving to be very good, indeed.

--bkl

[leesa]

10. Good. Austrians are still pissed at him for blaming them for the

holocaust when he was in Israel sucking up to Likud.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

11. Austrians now REVILE Gov. Gropinator for supporting the death penalty.

Wish I had the link but I read an in depth article detailing how Ahnuld has been dropped from 'home boy makes good in USA-status' because of his allowing the death sentance of a prisoner with an outstanding appeal to almost happen.

Many Austrians disowned the Terminator because Europeans consider the US's love of capital punishment to be utterly barbaric and indicitive of our culture's depravity.

They are right.

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. Arnie representing the US

Well...La-Di-Dah! Of course Arnie is the first choice what with all his political experience in representing all of the US. </sarcasm>

Arnie the Puppet--Play it like Pinocchio, Gropenator!