In the first year of his first term as governor , Schwarzenegger proposed deep cuts in the state budget and was met with opposition in the California State Legislature . When San Francisco started granting same-sex marriage licenses at the behest of mayor Gavin Newsom , the governor ordered state attorney general Bill Lockyer to intervene in the matter and vetoed legislation that would have legalized same-sex marriage . Because of their opposition to his budget cuts , Schwarzenegger controversially called his opponents in the legislature girlie men . At the 2004 Republican National Convention , Schwarzenegger gave a speech endorsing the reelection of George W. Bush as President of the United States
2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
Political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger