A Sensible Veto
September 12, 2007
Schwarzenegger Vetoes Vote on Troops in Iraq
By REGAN MORRIS
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12 — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill today that would have allowed Californians to vote on whether or not “the president should end the United States occupation of Iraq.”
The governor explained his decision by saying that Iraq policy was “not a state issue” and that the symbolic vote would carry no weight. The vote would have had no affect on the deployment of United States troops, whether or not from California. If Californians want to send Washington a message about Iraq, Mr. Schwarzenegger said, they can do so at the polls without an Iraq advisory question. California, he said moved its presidential primary up to Feb. 5 from June to allow the state a greater say in selecting presidential candidates.
“All Californians have the right and the means to speak their mind on matters of such national importance,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said in his veto. “There is no louder message Californian…