Arnold's Comments on Mexicans Continue to Roil

Arnold taped the audio from a meeting back in April and his words then continue to reverberate. They have particularly roilded the Latino community for his offensive words about Mexican immigrants. Community and poitical leaders voiced their feelings in an LAT story today. What I would like to highlight is the governor's spokeman's response.

The conversations were brainstorming sessions designed to help the governor talk out ideas, his communications director, Adam Mendelsohn, said Thursday.

That is known as the we didn't intend for them to be released, so you shouldn't pay attention to them defense.

"I think everyone in this state struggles with how to manage an issue as large as the immigration issue," Mendelsohn said. "The governor is working through that issue as anyone else, and he is trying to come up with a responsible position."

Is Mendlesohn actually trying to say that this problem is so large that it is impossible anything responsible about it? Or is he simply attempting to claim that it is impossible to solve all together? He is clearly ignoring the substance of the offensive comments and instead, centers his response on policy.

Mendelsohn said the recordings, however, fail "to reflect his deep respect for the Mexican culture…. He has a strong belief and understanding of what immigrants have contributed to this state in terms of economic growth."

This is the maybe he said something offensive, but he has said a bunch of nice stuff too defense. Sorry, Adam, that is not going to mend fences. Everyone heard the words coming out of his mouth. It is up to the governor to gain a better understanding of the Latino community and stop going on right wing talk radio and ranting about the need for assimilation.