California Senate: Davis Should Apologize for Ethnic Slur

California's Democrat-run Senate says Democrat Gov. Gray Davis should apologize to GOP rival Arnold Schwarzenegger for an ethnic slur.

The measure passed 19-2 Tuesday. Four Democrats joined the chamber's 15 Republicans in favor. Nineteen Democrats failed to vote at all.

Davis has refused to apologize for telling a supporter, in a conversation he thought was private but was overheard by a reporter, that anyone who can't pronounce California should not be governor.

'Sheer Stupidity'

"I am not going to deny that when the governor made fun of Mr. Schwarzenegger's accent it was very, very painful, especially for someone like me who speaks with an accent. And many times, I say 'Cal-ee-fornia' also," Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Norwalk, who voted for the motion, said on the floor.

"I just hope that as politicians we can realize that in such a crazy, heated time that we are in right now in terms of the recall, we make some stupid, bonehead mistakes," she said. "And that statement was sheer stupidity. And I would hope that we treat it as that - as sheer stupidity. If I were the governor's people, I would say, 'Come on, apologize quickly, get it over with and let's get down to business.'"

The other Senate Dems supporting the motion: Deirdre Alpert of Coronado, Liz Figueroa of Sunol and Gloria Romero of Los Angeles.

Senate minority leader Jim Brulte told Fox News he at first asked the Senate to "condemn" Davis but then merely sought an apology.

"I did it to forge a bipartisan compromise," he said. "If a Republican had said this, the Democrats would have attacked relentlessly. Everyone knows that."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
California Governor's Race

Editor's note:
Arnold fans – check out the new Terminator for Governor T-shirts – Click Here