Actor Mel Gibson is passionate in his opposition to Proposition 71, the statewide ballot measure that would authorize $3 billion in state bond funds for human embryonic stem cell research.
Gibson joined a debate that has included the views of Hollywood stars Brad Pitt, Michael J. Fox and the late Christopher Reeve, all of whom embraced the measure.
On ABC's "Good Morning America," Gibson said he was so concerned about the initiative that he called another celebrity, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Republican governor has endorsed Proposition 71 -- to the chagrin of religious conservatives such as Gibson, the director of "The Passion of the Christ," a controversial retelling of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
"He said, 'Well, I'm very busy now. I'll call you back. I've got to make a speech, you know. I'll call you right back.' Well, Arnold, I'm still waiting for your call," Gibson said
Schwarzenegger seemed puzzled when asked about it later: "I don't know what this was all about. I did talk to him for several minutes and explained to him what my position was." After the speech in San Diego, "I called back at 9 o'clock and left a message on his phone," Schwarzenegger said. "He hasn't returned my call."
Gibson said he opposed the notion of extracting stem cells from human embryos, saying he considered them forms of life.
"I was never in a petri dish, but at one stage I was that little cluster of cells myself, as were you, as was the doctor, as is everybody. Tell me anybody who wasn't that at some point in their development, and I'll give you a cigar."
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Signs Point to Heavy Turnout
An estimated 73% of registered voters will turn out for Tuesday's election, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley said Thursday, meaning that 12 million Californians may go to the polls.
If accurate, Shelley's projections would mean that Tuesday's turnout would be one of the heaviest in the last two decades. The highest turnout percentage in recent California history was in 1992, when 75.3% of registered voters cast ballots.
Among the signs of a sizable turnout are that nearly 1 million new voters have registered in the last 45 days. The final registration figures are expected to climb even higher as county voting officials enter additional data.
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Reshuffling in Shelley's Office
At Shelley's office, talk about turnout doesn't have to do just with voter participation.
