Beatty takes aim at Schwarzenegger

San Francisco Chronicle

Warren Beatty took a few shots at the Gubernator this past weekend, warning fellow actor Arnold Schwarzenegger that if he keeps sucking up to corporate interests, some “stooge” or “girlie man” might “pop up out of nowhere and eat you for lunch.”

The ever-liberal Beatty delivered the warning shot at the annual Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights dinner down in Los Angeles, where he received the Phillip Burton Public Service Award.

(From his biggest fan, John Burton, naturally.)

After thanking the assembled politicos, Beatty fired the arrows. First, on Arnold’s politics:

“A Schwarzenegger Republican is a Bush Republican who calls himself a Schwarzenegger Republican.”

On Arnold’s no-tax pledge:

“The only taxes the governor has suggested raising are called fees and tuitions.”

On Arnold’s fund raising:

“If you’re looking for something to terminate … terminate your dinners with the brokers of Wall Street. … Terminate your dinners with the lobbyists of K Street. … Terminate collecting out-of-state right-wing money.

“Do the right thing, because after dining out at all of those rich and powerful fund-raising dinners, who knows — some ‘stooge’ or ‘girlie man’ or ‘loser’ may just pop up out of nowhere and eat you for lunch.”

Asked Monday about Beatty’s broadside by MSNBC’S Chris Matthews, Schwarzenegger quipped, “If he promises me not to give me advice in politics, I promise him not to give him advice on acting.”

By the way, despite rumors to the contrary, Beatty made it clear he won’t be the one to eat Arnold for lunch.

“Make no mistake,” Beatty said. “I don’t want to run for governor. I’m not nearly as generous with my time as Arnold is.”

No, but he is more generous with his thoughts.