SACRAMENTO, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has accepted a dare from Democratic lawmakers to veto a measure honoring Vietnam veterans, observers say.
In an example of statehouse political brinkmanship, Schwarzenegger followed through Tuesday with a threat to issue vetoes until legislators started concentrating on passing his priority issues, The Sacramento Bee reported.
The newspaper said the governor had threatened to veto 73 measures awaiting his signature. The state Senate responded by pulling back all of them for safekeeping, except for one designating March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day," which Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico dared Schwarzenegger to veto.
The governor did indeed veto the measure, saying, "Our state is facing significant challenges, including the need for comprehensive changes in our policies on water, energy, and corrections and the need to take meaningful steps to stimulate the economy and rein in the rising levels of unemployment. This bill does nothing to address any of these issues."
The bill's co-author, Republican assemblyman and Vietnam veteran Paul Cook, told the Bee: "This is something that is long overdue and it's something I feel very, very strongly about. And (a veto) just shows no respect for all those veterans."
