Arnold: somewhat misquoted by the AP

Dan Walters has the scoop:

...This is what Schwarzenegger said in the transcript of the interview, which was conducted in English: "I think that right now the Republican Party is all the way from the right to the center. And the Democratic Party is all the way from the left to the center. And I like the Republican Party to cross that center line. Keep it to the right where it is, but I mean cross over that center line a little bit, because that would take immediately away 5 percent from the Democrats and be home free for good. That's the trick."

Hujer's German-language story, including that passage, was published in his newspaper on Saturday. International news agencies picked up the quotation, translating it back into English. The version that the Associated Press distributed quoted Schwarzenegger, inaccurately, as saying he wanted Republicans to move "a little to the left."

"I would like the Republican Party to cross this line, move a little further left and place more weight on the center. This would immediately give the party 5 percent more votes without it losing anything elsewhere," read the AP version, which was also distributed Saturday...

California · Thu, 12/23/2004 - 11:33 · · Importance: 1