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Schwarzenegger may skip GOP convention |
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By Emily Goodin
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Posted: 08/14/08 04:28 PM [ET] |
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) may not attend the Republican National Convention if his state’s budget crisis is not solved in time, his office confirmed Thursday. A spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger’s office told The Hill that the governor may not make it to St. Paul. The possibility of Schwarzenegger skipping the convention was first raised in Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times. The paper quotes Schwarzenegger as saying “I will not make any commitments. I will not go on vacation. I will not leave the state. I will not do anything until I have a budget.” Schwarzenegger also told the Times that he had been in talks with Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) campaign about a primetime speaking slot but that it “is off right now.” California’s budget deadlock is in its seventh week as the state faces a $15.2 billion budget deficit, according to the Associated Press. Schwarzenegger’s office declined to speculate on when it might end. The Republican National Convention begins on September 1. In 2004, Schwarzenegger addressed the GOP convention on its second night, where he talked about the “American dream” he experienced as he rose from coming here as an Austrian immigrant to becoming governor of the nation’s largest state. |
