By ALLISON HOFFMAN
The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 25, 2006; 11:40 PM
LA MESA, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign bus tour hit a pot hole on its very first stop: a town hall meeting Tuesday at which the governor was heckled by people upset with his position on illegal immigration.
The hot-button issue was a theme of a day on which Schwarzenegger emphatically distanced himself from a 1994 ballot proposition, saying "I was wrong" to support a measure that sought to deny illegal immigrants many government services.
His day began in the San Diego County community of La Mesa, where about 150 people attended a campaign event.
Among them was Sally Plata, a 66-year-old retiree from El Cajon and a Minuteman civilian patrol member who expressed frustration about the porous U.S.-Mexico border.
"I voted for you. And right now I don't see much difference between you and Phil Angelides," said Plata, referring to Schwarzenegger's Democratic opponent in the November election.
Schwarzenegger smiled throughout the sometimes heated questioning. At one point, as audience members grumbled loudly at his comments, Schwarzenegger asked them to quiet down so he could finish.
"Never get mad at anyone who is trying to come to this country. Get mad at the federal government which is not securing our borders," Schwarzenegger told the crowd.
Afterward, Schwarzenegger told reporters he was troubled by some of the comments and surprised by their tone.
"It was pretty much the first time I saw the intensity of prejudice," said Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself. "This one woman came up to me and said, 'Stop the invasion.' It was that kind of dialogue, and not, 'Hey, is there something we can do about immigration?' And I think that's going into a dangerous area."
Immigration is shaping up as a major campaign issue this fall, just as it was in the 1994 gubernatorial race.
Republican Pete Wilson won that race after embracing Proposition 187, which called for denying illegal immigrants many government services. The initiative passed handily but later was tossed out by the courts. It also moved many Hispanic voters to the Democratic camp.
Schwarzenegger has acknowledged supporting Proposition 187 and suggested he came to regret that vote after working with the children of illegal immigrants in after-school programs before being elected governor.
"I could be criticized for flip-flopping, but better to say I was wrong than to hold onto something that isn't my view," Schwarzenegger told reporters on his campaign bus.
Angelides, the state treasurer, seized on the governor's comments, accusing Schwarzenegger of pandering to Hispanics.
"He will do anything and say anything to get re-elected," Angelides charged.
Congress is wrestling with immigration reform and Schwarzenegger has split with many in the Republican Party _ particularly in the House of Representatives _ who favor a get-tough approach to illegal immigrants.
His thinking is closer to that of President Bush, who has called for better border security, a guest worker program to ensure businesses have the workers they need and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for a significant period and not broken the law.
Schwarzenegger has long faulted the federal government for lax border security and praised efforts by the Minutemen to fill the gap. California has more illegal immigrants than any other state _ an estimated 2.4 million.
Angelides also has called for increased border enforcement and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for a long time.
The bus tour continues Wednesday with stops in and around Los Angeles.