Where was Arnold BEFORE the Election?

Arnold Schwartzenegger was on “This Week” with George Stephanopolous yesterday.  During that interview, Schwartzenegger said that the state Supreme Court was correct in overturning the ban on same-sex marriage.  But I ask this: If he’s so sure about it now, if he’s so adamant about it now, where was his leadership before the election?

The transcript (linked above):

STEPHANOPOULOS: Proposition 8 here in California, it passed, defining marriage as exclusively for men and women. I know you’ve said you hope the court overturns it. Will you join Democrats who are filing a challenge in the court?

SCHWARZENEGGER: No. I mean, I have been asked to join this fight, and I had my own fight with Proposition 11, and that’s what I’ve focused on.

But I made it very clear. I personally am — for me, marriage is between a man and a woman. But I don’t want to ever force my will on anyone.

I think that the Supreme Court was right by saying that it’s unconstitutional. And that everyone should have the right, just like we had the battle in 1948 and the Supreme Court decision came down, that, you know, it was unconstitutional for blacks and whites not to be able to get married with each other, and they overturned that. And since then, that has been taken care of.

And now the Supreme Court says that it’s also unconstitutional to not let gay people get married, the same-sex marriage. So to me, that is the important decision here, and everything else is not that important. So people can pass initiatives, like Proposition 187 passed under Wilson that said we should not give, you know, Latinos and those that are illegally here any educational services or any kind of medical services. The Supreme Court said, well, the people maybe had some intentions there, but it’s unconstitutional.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you think the courts should overturn Proposition 8?

SCHWARZENEGGER: The court has overturned it. And now they went back. And the people have voted for it again, against the gay marriage. So the Supreme Court, you know, I think ought to go and look at that again. And we’ll go back to the same decision, basically.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And you believe they will.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I think that they will. And I think that the important thing now is to resolve this issue in that way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD (chanting): Marriage is a civil right!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHWARZENEGGER: In a peaceful way, rather than, you know, going out and protesting, and going out and boycotting and all those things. I think that’s not the best way to go about it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: In the meantime, some legal experts have suggested that you should, if you believe that, issue an edict, a ruling, that says that the marriages that have already taken place in California are absolutely legal. Will you do that?

SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, I have to get together with Jerry Brown, our attorney general, and see what the legal opinion is, because he’s my lawyer, basically. And so, we always do those things together.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you’re inclined to do it?

SCHWARZENEGGER: It’s a conversation that I can have with him about the — if that’s the legal way to go.

Arnold said something about having his own fight — Proposition 11.  That’s a cop out, in my opinion.  It would have taken about ten minutes to cut a commercial, or to give a speech denouncing Proposition 8.  It would have taken nothing away from his fight for Proposition 11 (which I never saw him talk much about, either, come to think of it, although I’m happy it passed).  But now he has the political cover to talk about it after it’s over — nothing more is on the line except a court fight.  And he can distance himself from that and blame “activist judges.”  That way, his Senate run is still on track.  Such bravery.  Such a waste.