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Schwarzenegger Plan Loses (Folo) In U.S. Off-Year Election, Some Gains for Democrats

Posted on: Thursday, 10 November 2005, 12:00 CST

Schwarzenegger was dealt a stinging rebuke by voters who rejected the centerpiece of his efforts to change the balance of power in California, an initiative to cap state spending and grant sweeping new budget powers to the governor, The New York Times reported from Los Angeles.

A plan he supported to transfer the power to draw legislative districts from the Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, to a panel of retired judges also appeared to be failing.

Voters were also deciding on three other special election proposals backed by the governor, but after the costliest ballot campaign in state history it was clear that the once highly popular movie-star-turned-governor had been politically wounded.

Schwarzenegger staked his time, prestige and several million dollars of his personal fortune on the ballot campaign that he said was needed to fix a dysfunctional political system. The governor must now return to Sacramento, the state capital, and try to re- establish ties with Democratic leaders in the Legislature with whom he has been engaged in a bitter election campaign lasting months.

Source: International Herald Tribune

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