www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36097Fabian Nunez, the fiery Democratic assemblyman
from Los Angeles set to ascend to the powerful
speakership position, told a Spanish-language Mexico
City newspaper he has "declared war" on Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Nunez, 36, a
Mexican immigrant
and former amateur
boxer who has risen
quickly from
freshman
assemblyman in
December 2002 to
majority whip to the
speakership of the
80-member
California Assembly,
told La Cronica
Schwarzenegger was targeting new immigrants with
his policies.
"I have already personally declared political war on
Schwarzenegger," he was quoted as saying, "that is
the reason I was elected by my supporters. This is
only the beginning of the confrontations with
Governor Schwarzenegger. In a meeting I had with
him, I advised him that the Democrats will not allow
him to step on our principles, which are to defend the
rights of immigrants and the Californios."
That is a very different message than he is giving to
English-speaking audiences and journalists in
California.
He told the Sacramento Bee Nov. 21: "I look forward
to working with him. I think we're going to find so
much common ground that we're going to make
(Republican legislative leaders) nervous."
Nunez first came to prominence in California politics
in 1994 when he led an effort to defeat Proposition
187, the successful statewide ballot initiative that
sought to deny public-school education and medical
care to illegal aliens. He then helped organize the
successful challenge of the measure's implementation
before the California Supreme Court.
Schwarzenegger angered Nunez and some other
Hispanic activists when he followed through on his
campaign promise to repeal SB 60, a law that allowed
illegal aliens to get California driver's licenses. Nunez
was one of the champions of the law.
Pending in the Legislature is Nunez's AB 25, which
would require state agencies to accept foreign
identification cards as valid, provided security and
other conditions are met.
Nunez has close ties to Los Angeles education and
labor unions, having previously served as political
director for the county's Federation of Labor and
government relations director for the city's public
schools.