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Jul 25, 2006 9:08 pm US/Pacific
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Schwarzenegger: Support Of Prop 187 Was Mistake
LA MESA, Calif. (AP) ―
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he was wrong to have supported a 1994 initiative that sought to curb California's influx of illegal immigrants by denying them many government services.
Proposition 187 was passed handily by voters but tossed out by the courts.
"I could be criticized for flip-flopping, but better to say I was wrong than to hold onto something that isn't my view," Schwarzenegger told reporters on the first day of a campaign bus tour.
Schwarzenegger's Democratic rival, state Treasurer Phil Angelides, seized on the governor's reversal, accusing the governor of pandering to Hispanic voters.
"He will do anything and say anything to get re-elected," Angelides said.
Schwarzenegger made the statement during his "Protecting the California Dream" bus tour, which got off to a rocky start when the governor was heckled during his first appearance -- a town hall meeting in the San Diego County community of La Mesa.
The meeting was dominated by questions about illegal immigration.
"I voted for you. And right now I don't see much difference between you and Phil Angelides," said Sally Plata, a 66-year-old retiree from El Cajon and a Minuteman civilian patrol member who expressed frustration about the porous border.
Schwarzenegger smiled during the sometimes heated questioning.
"Never get mad at anyone who is trying to come to this country. Get mad at the federal government which is not securing our borders," Schwarzenegger told the crowd.
Afterward, Schwarzenegger told reporters he was troubled by some of the comments and surprised by their tone.
"It was pretty much the first time I saw the intensity of prejudice," Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself, said. "This one woman came up to me and said, 'Stop the invasion.' It was that kind of dialogue, and not 'Hey, is there something we can do about immigration?' And I think that's going into a dangerous area."
Just like the run-up to this November's election, immigration was a major issue in 1994. Proposition 187 was popular among Republicans and is credited with helping Pete Wilson win, but in the long term it helped move Hispanics to the Democratic camp.
Schwarzenegger acknowledged voting for it but says he changed his mind after working with the children of illegal immigrants in after-school programs prior to being elected governor in 2003.
Schwarzenegger addressed the issue a day after he told La Opinion, a Los Angeles-based Spanish language newspaper, that "looking back, it was the wrong decision" to support the ballot measure.
Congress is wrestling with immigration reform and Schwarzenegger has split with many in the Republican Party -- particularly in the House of Representatives -- who favor a get-tough approach to illegal immigrants. His thinking is closer to that of President Bush, who has called for better border security, a guest worker program to ensure businesses have the workers they need and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for a significant period and not broken the law.
Schwarzenegger has long faulted the federal government for lax border security and praised efforts by the Minutemen to fill the gap. California has more illegal immigrants than any other state -- an estimated 2.4 million.
Angelides also has called for stepped-up border enforcement and a path to citizenship for illegals who have been in the country for a long time.
After the La Mesa appearance, Schwarzenegger got a friendlier reception in Temecula, meeting with diners at Sweet Lumpy's BBQ, a saloon-style restaurant peppered with American flags. A cheering crowd greeted the governor, who spoke briefly before heading back on the bus to events in Corona and Rancho Cucamonga.
As the governor was leaving the Temecula event, however, an opponent of illegal immigration chanted, "Secure our borders."
The bus tour continues Wednesday with stops in and around Los Angeles.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)