poor

There is not a lot of love in my heart for Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I do not believe that he actually thinks that picking on the poor, elderly, disabled and children is really something to be "very proud" about. This is all part of the Kabuki Dance Arnold does every year with the Democratic leadership. He proposes cuts to social programs that he knows the Democrats will not stand for. Then he uses them as bargaining chips during the "Big 5" meetings.

This is troubling George Skelton today and rightfully so.

These are just moves to pile bargaining chips on the negotiating table. That's got to be it.

Otherwise — at least in regards to the elderly, disabled and kids living on the edge — he'd be either a dunce or a bully, picking on the politically weak. We know he's not the former. Don't even want to think about the latter.

Arnold is a bully. We have known that for a long time, back when he was running around calling Democratic legislators "girly men" and talking about kicking nurses butts. He is being a bully over the budget, picking on the weakest among us in order to appease the conservatives. They love his draconian cuts. They just wish they went even further. Rather than acting outwardly like a bully, he is smiling and talking about how "proud" he is of his budget. Lipstick on a pig.

Let's run down some of Arnold's "proud" priorities.