The portrayal of Governor Schwarzenegger as a bobblehead in a business suit with an assault weapon is both a pointed political statement and distinctly satirical, fulfilling the law's 'transformative in nature' standard for satirical products.
The First Amendment allows for -- no, it promotes -- such commentary. We may not all choose to speak out, but it's our right to.
We send brave men and women overseas to expand those rights to others, yet would we allow the Governor of California to actively restrict those same American principles here at home?
It wasn't merely coincidence that Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler all outlawed satire. They couldn't handle the subtle political criticism, and apparently neither can Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Were Arnold's original lawsuit premise to prevail -- free speech except when Arnold or Maria don't approve -- then who decides what's appropriate for Jay Leno, Dave Letterman, Jon Stewart or Garry Trudeau? A bobblehead of the Governor of California in a gray business suit and holding an assault weapon is pure satire, and satire of a public figure is protected speech. Case closed. And if Arnold disagrees, then why did he drop the lawsuit?
That alone was worth standing up to such twisted logic: the First Amendment shall not apply when you are poking fun at Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Now, admittedly you don't spend much time contemplating the value of the First Amendment until someone tries to take your free speech guarantees away from you.
And his longtime advisors were too arrogant and short-sighted to admit their grave error.
What Arnold's advisors did next really screwed things up..........
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