Schwarzenegger Testing the Power of Latino Lawmakers

Latino  lawmakers vilified  Gov. Pete Wilson for cutting off public services  to  illegal immigrants and bullied Gov. Gray Davis into granting  them  driver's licenses, a move that helped end his political  career.But  the  Legislature's fastest-growing  political bloc  appears stymied by Arnold  Schwarzenegger. The popular Republican  governor forced  lawmakers  to  rescind the driver's license bill and  didn't  flinch  last week when  some Latino legislators threatened to block  the state  budget if he  didn't  compromise on a new bill. [more]