New Schwarzenegger tapes go public

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Newly available audio recordings of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger meeting privately with aides reveal him griping about politicians from both parties.

The recordings, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, feature Schwarzenegger calling some lawmakers obstructionist and two-faced. They also show the governor speculating about resentment among Americans over illegal immigration, and about his wife, Maria Shriver's, penchant for tinkering with his speeches -- sometimes up to the last minute before they are delivered.

The recordings were made by Schwarzenegger's staff in 2006, in an effort to help a speechwriter capture his thought process and speech rhythms, the Times said.

The Times contacted the governor's office Sunday for comment on the audio files. In response, the newspaper said, the governor's communications director, Adam Mendelsohn, said he would release the audio to the wider press.

Schwarzenegger is heard on the recordings calling California Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata "a very sick man." He also questions the value of building a fence along the Mexican border.

"Are we looking at Mexico now as the enemy?" he says. "No, it's not. This is our trading partner."