I Fought The Law And I Won

There's a micro-scandal brewing over pictures of the Governator's wife driving while taking on a cell-phone, which has been illegal in CA for a few years. Yes, this is a very annoying example of the reach of the nanny state. It's even more annoying when you realize that the law flies in the fact of both California's famed Car Culture, and its less well known Cell Phone Culture. Put the two together, and you have "culture-culture!" Why stand in the way of that? Nonetheless, conservatives and libertarians are guffawing over yet another example of "Do as I say, not as I do" nannyism. Michelle Malkin's report is typical: Cell Phone Bans for Thee, But Not for Wife of Arnie

The Terminator needs to have a hands-free talk with wife Maria, who has been caught on tape numerous times violating his law.

TMZ has the latest video.

Looks like someone needs to be made an example of, eh, Governor?

I have a shocking confession to make on behalf of my fellow Californians. No one follows this stupid law, which was passed in the face of studies tending to show that talking on a cell-phone is no more distracting than talking to someone in the backseat. If the CHiP's are enforcing it, they are not doing so in the Bay Area (not that I have ever seen). I have never felt any fear driving by a police car while talking on a cell-phone. I don't know anyone who has ever been ticketed for driving while talking on a cell-phone. There has, of course, been no noticable surge in car safety. There hasn't even been a political benefit; I couldn't tell you who sponsored the original "cell phone" statute if you paid me, and you are not. As no one is going to un-pass a highway safety law passed "for the children," the next best thing we should do is ignore it en masse. Crowing conservatives should applaud Mrs. Shriver for her insouciant civil disobedience, rather than scolding her like the political nannies they claim to deplore.