TRUDEAU'S TEMERITY

Ultraliberal cartoonist G.B. Trudeau has taken the meaning of meanspirited to a sickening new depth with his recent series of "Doonesbury" strips defaming California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trudeau depicts Schwarzenegger as a 7-foot-tall hand behind a podium addressing past allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. He's given the unflattering "Gropenfurher" as a moniker; in response to his admittance of groping several women throughout his film career and his (long estranged) father's Nazi party ties.

For starters, Trudeau's sudden outrage at a political sex scandal evidences a blind hypocrisy. The artist, after all, defended President Clinton throughout his sexual misdeeds which spanned two terms in office, from Paula Jones to Monica Lewinsky. Schwarzenegger's actions are deplorable, but Trudeau thinks so only because the transgressor is a Republican, despite his Kennedy family ties and his left-leaning social views. Secondly, taking a swipe at Schwarzenegger for his parents' and grandparents' connection to the Nazi party is repugnant. The man can no more control who his parents are than anyone else on earth. Trudeau thinks he's pretty clever, but the Nazi label smacks of sophomoric McCarthyism and sheer desperation.

The popular Doonesbury strip should depart from its wrongheaded political cartoon stage and return to a lighthearted narrative. Trudeau is no Tom Toles (Washington Post editorial cartoonist), he's no pundit and he's no journalist. He is, however, a talented artist and creator. Why doesn't he lay off the Terminator?