I Cogitate
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Schwarzenegger stars in "I Spy"
What has happened to that white steed Arnold Schwarzenegger was astride as he rode to the rescue and promised an end to the same old, same old in California's political arena?
It appears the gleeming thoroughbred was actually a gussied up, broken down nag.
Not only have California's nurses, teachers and safety workers kicked some major Schwarzenegger fanny of late in response to his mouthing off but Schwarzenegger has sullied his own reputation with questionable decisions.
The latest involves the burgeoning scandal involving the California National Guard and domestic intelligence gathering.
In June, the San Jose Mercury News revealed that the California National Guard was involved in 'monitoring' an anti-war rally held in Sacramento.
Since then, California National Guard officials have been stonewalling efforts by members of the California legislature to determine what kind of surveillance, if any, took place. Now 'protected' government emails and 'missing-but-found' computers have added gravitas to the story.
The government transparency Schwarzenegger trumpeted that he would bring to the Golden State is beginning to look more like a one-way mirror.
Here is the latest, an Aaron C. Davis-written article in the San Jose Mercury News:
Aug. 04, 2005For the rest of the article, go here.
Governor, Guard withhold e-mails in spying probe
INVESTIGATORS CALL MOVE SUSPICIOUS
Aaron C. Davis
Mercury News Sacramento Bureau
The Schwarzenegger administration and California National Guard are refusing to make public a series of 20 e-mails between two of the governor's spokesmen and a Guard official regarding a Mercury News story in June that revealed the existence of an intelligence-gathering unit.
Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Garden Grove, who is heading a probe into the unit, said the refusal only furthers suspicion the Guard unit may have engaged in domestic spying.
The Guard also acknowledged Wednesday that seven of its computers went missing around the time the story was published and just recently reappeared. Dunn has demanded to know whether any classified material was removed, but the Guard has said the computers were brand new -- never used -- and not relevant to the investigation.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration had previously pledged full cooperation in the investigation but is standing behind the Guard's decision to assert ``executive privilege'' in not releasing the e-mails.
``The National Guard is the subject of the Senate investigation,'' said the governor's press secretary, Margita Thompson, ``so we will defer to the Guard's lawyers.''
Executive privilege is the right courts have recognized for elected officials to keep secret any documents and information that would reveal details of lawmakers' decision-making process.
Thompson said Wednesday that invoking the privilege reflects a common practice of protecting communications between the governor's office and members of state agencies.
But Dunn and government watchdog groups said the move was suspicious.
For the initial San Jose Mercury News article about the suspected domestic spying (this one contains excellent background information), go here.
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