March 26, 2008

Schwarzenegger defends Clint and Bobby decision

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday defended his decision to replace actor Clint Eastwood and brother-in-law Bobby Shriver on the State Park and Recreation Commission, saying he wanted to give other people a chance to serve.

The governor has come under fire from environmental groups who charge that he booted Eastwood and Shriver after they opposed the construction of a toll road through a state park in Southern California.

The two were appointed by former Gov. Gray Davis in 2001 and reappointed by Schwarzenegger in 2004. The governor chose recently not to reappoint them for a third term.

"Clint and Bobby both have done an extraordinary job for the parks," he told reporters in San Luis Obispo. "Unlike the press says, we were very happy with their performance. I always told them they should vote with their conscience and they should make the right decisions. And after eight years of serving, we thanked them for their service and now we want to put someone else in there because there's a lot of people that want to have those positions. They have done a great job for eight years."

Posted by Kevin Yamamura on March 26, 2008 01:50 PM