Governor Arnold?

[ROID WARRIOR]

CNN) -- Two high-profile Californians are mulling runs to replace Gov. Gray Davis if he is recalled, with one contemplating a campaign as an independent and a source saying the other is reluctant to enter the race.

Columnist Arianna Huffington said Monday she hasn't made up her mind. But she said if she decides to run for the seat, she will do so as an independent to offer Californians a "progressive alternative" to the Republicans trying to oust Davis, a Democrat.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose name often has been mentioned as a potential candidate, "is leaning against running for governor," a source close to the actor told CNN.

Huffington also said she would run for governor only if her ex-husband, Michael Huffington, doesn't run. The former GOP congressman is considering a bid.

"It would never be both Michael and myself running because as a mother ... I would never put my children through this," she told CNN's Paula Zahn.

Davis has faced an avalanche of criticism for his handling of the state's fiscal crisis, triggered by a $38 billion deficit. Those seeking his ouster have put more than enough signatures on recall petitions to trigger a vote on whether to keep or dump Davis.

The recall vote is scheduled for October 7, and candidates must file for the election by August 9.

Huffington criticized state Democrats for failing to offer an alternative to face such Republicans as U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa -- the conservative who financed much of the recall campaign -- and Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in a November election.

Such a move, she said, is like "playing Russian roulette with the state."

"If I run -- and I haven't made that decision -- it would be as an independent, not as a Democrat, because that's what I'm registered as," she said, quelling rumors that she would put her name on the Democratic ticket.

A source said that Schwarzenegger spent time with his family over the weekend and had discussions with close associates regarding the October election, and he is said to feel confident that there are potential candidates who can beat Davis.

The actor's inclination not to run has to do with the effect a campaign and possible governorship would have on his family, the source said. Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, have four children, ranging in age from 5 to 13.

A final decision is expected by the end of the week, the source said.

Earlier Monday, in response to news that the actor had decided not to run for governor, Schwarzenegger consultant George Gorton released a statement saying those reports were incorrect.

"Arnold is discussing his candidacy with his family," the statement said. "He is weighing the pros and cons of a candidacy and has made no determination at this time as to whether he will run in a likely recall election, nor has he made a determination that he will not run."


RW

 

[ROID WARRIOR]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, the moderate Republican whom Democratic California Gov. Gray Davis targeted with $7 million in TV ads in last year's GOP gubernatorial primary, could be Davis' strongest threat in the October 7 recall election.

The 2002 race went according to Davis' plan: Riordan, who Davis feared could have posed a strong challenge in the general election, never overcame Davis' attacks and lost the primary to Bill Simon by 18 percentage points. Simon lost the general election to Davis by 5 points.

But little has gone Davis' way since. He now faces a recall election that could make him the second governor in U.S. history recalled from office. The other was North Dakota Gov. Lynn J. Frazier in 1921.

Although Riordan, 73, has not formally entered the race, he could be the GOP's strongest candidate, especially if actor Arnold Schwarzenegger bows out as expected.

State Republican sources said Wednesday that Schwarzenegger has opted not to put his name on the October 7 recall ballot, but Schwarzenegger advisers said the actor is leaning against running but may not make a final decision until the end of the week.

Schwarzenegger is expected to back Riordan, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2002. Riordan said Tuesday that he would not run if Schwarzenegger, who turned 56 on Wednesday, entered the race.

A poll by the Los Angeles Times earlier this month indicated Riordan would be the most popular GOP candidate, with Schwarzenegger a close second and Simon a distant third.

Allan Hoffenblum, a GOP consultant who publishes the "California Target Book," said Riordan would benefit this time around because "he won't be running in a close primary and won't have to appease hard-core conservatives. And in a short race like this, name ID is going to be paramount."

But Hoffenblum noted that Riordan would still face one obstacle he struggled with in 2002.

"He ran two very good races for mayor of Los Angeles, but both campaigns were overwhelmingly dominated by Democratic political operatives," Hoffenblum said, referring to Clint Reilly and Bill Carrick, a close ally of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

"Democrats are united against the recall, and those consultants won't be with [Riordan] in this."

Democratic Party officials have said they are unified behind Davis and that no Democrat would run to replace him.

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a conservative Republican and chief financier of the recall effort, is already running.

Simon takes first step
Simon took the first step toward running Tuesday, paying a filing fee for forms he must fill out to become a candidate. State Sen. Tom McClintock has filed papers to start raising money.

August 9 is the deadline to file candidacy papers with state election officials.

Schwarzenegger, a Riordan ally who also embraces their party's moderate wing, has started to back away reportedly because of pressure from his wife, Maria Shriver, an NBC correspondent and niece of John F. Kennedy.

A spokesman said Schwarzenegger, who is returning this week from promoting his latest "Terminator" movie, could make an announcement as early as Wednesday.

With that in mind, there are signs the White House, which endorsed Riordan in the 2002 primary, is taking a renewed interest in the former L.A. mayor's political future.

Noelia Rodriguez, press secretary to first lady Laura Bush and Riordan's former close aide, spent Monday at Riordan's house in Brentwood, helping him assemble a possible campaign team, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

While President Bush supported Riordan when he ran for governor, White House officials have kept their distance from the recall until now.

Meanwhile, another political soap opera is playing out in the California recall's three-ring circus.

Political commentator Arianna Huffington has said she might run for governor as an independent, but only if her ex-husband, former congressman Michael Huffington, a 1994 Senate candidate, does not.

"It would never be both Michael and myself running because as a mother you would understand that I would never put my children through this," she told CNN.

In a related development Tuesday, a federal judge in San Diego struck down a part of the California election code, a decision that could affect some voters in the recall election.

U.S. District Judge Barry Moskowitz declared unconstitutional a little-known statute stipulating that voters must register yes or no on the recall question or their vote on a replacement candidate would not be counted.

Voters in the October 7 election will have the option of voting or not voting on the question of removing Davis from office. Then they will be asked on the same ballot to vote for his successor if the recall is successful.

Attorneys for both Davis and recall organizers say the ruling will have no effect on the timing of the election.

Davis supporters say the ruling will allow voters disgusted with the whole recall process to abstain from voting on the recall itself, but still retain a vote on a replacement candidate if the recall succeeds.

The case was brought by two professors at the University of California at San Diego who contended the statute was unconstitutional.

 

[plethos]

This isn't really anything new, Arnold is heavily in republican politics and has had an eye on California office for some time now. He headed some presidential counsil for health and exercise back when Bush Sr was in office and has made some heavy donations in the past. I remember watching "Demolition Man" realeased ten years ago in 1993 with Sylvester Stallone when he wakes up in the future to find out some strange things about future's past:
Sylvester Stallone: "Hold it! The Schwarzenegger Library?"
Sandra Bullock: "Yes, the Schwarzenegger Presidential Library. Wasn't he an actor ?"
Stallone: "Stop! He was President?"
Bullock: "Yes. Even though he was not born in this country, his popularity at the time caused the 61st Amendment...

 

[ROID WARRIOR]

Dateline: August 1, 2003

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- In a made-for-TV political moment straight from Hollywood, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to announce whether he will run for governor of California moments before appearing on Jay Leno's late-night NBC show next week.

Although the former Mr. Universe has not made up his mind whether to run in the October 7 recall ballot, he is leaning against challenging Democratic Gov. Gray Davis because of family considerations, said a political advisor who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Arnold has not made a final decision but nothing has changed about his leaning against running," the aide said Thursday night.

The prospect of a Schwarzenegger campaign has kept the focus in the run-up to the August 9 filing deadline firmly on the Terminator actor and away from other candidates.

Schwarzenegger could opt to throw his support behind former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan, a moderate Republican who shares many of the actor's views, the star's aide said.

Riordan, who leads other Republicans in a statewide poll, has said that he would consider a run against Davis if Schwarzenegger bows out.

Under one possible scenario that would leave the door open for a future Schwarzenegger bid, Riordan, 73, could announce that he would serve only to the end of Davis' term if he were to win the recall vote.

This would clear the way for Schwarzenegger to run in 2006. The prospect of a run in that regular election remains on the table, the actor's aide said.

In a coup for NBC, Sean Walsh, a spokesman for the actor, said Schwarzenegger would likely release a statement on his intentions on Wednesday prior to a scheduled appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".

The network issued a statement saying: "While an abundance of rumors about whether or not Schwarzenegger will join the historic race for the governor's office have been circulating in the past week, next Wednesday viewers will finally get an answer from Schwarzenegger himself."

Schwarzenegger, 56, has been a frequent guest on Leno's late-night show and the two are close friends. The actor last appeared on the NBC program in late June to promote the release of his new movie, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

Darrell Issa, a wealthy Republican congressman who bankrolled the recall drive against Davis, has already declared his candidacy.

Davis, who faces rock-bottom approval ratings because of his handling of California's deep budget shortfall, has said the recall effort is a waste of taxpayer money and a "hostile takeover by the right."

 

[ROID WARRIOR]

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 13) - Arnold Schwarzenegger's foray into California's gubernatorial recall election poses a dilemma for broadcasters who might be tempted to show his films during the race: Doing so would allow rival candidates to demand equal time.

For that reason, broadcasters in California will likely not air Schwarzenegger movies such as ''Total Recall'' and the ''Terminator'' or a repeat of a ''Diff'rent Strokes'' episode with Gary Coleman for the next few months.

Cable channels are not covered by the Federal Communications Commission's equal-time provision, which in the past kept reruns of ''Death Valley Days'' off the air while Ronald Reagan ran for president. A repeat of a ''Saturday Night Live'' episode featuring Don Novello, aka Father Guido Sarducci, on cable, for instance, would not trigger the provision.

Novello, Schwarzenegger, Coleman and more than 240 other candidates have filed to run in the Oct. 7 election to recall Gov. Gray Davis. The equal-time rule kicks in on Wednesday, when the state is expected to officially certify the list of candidates.

The major networks do not have a Schwarzenegger movie scheduled over the next two months, but local stations can make their own decisions about what to air.

The National Association of Broadcasters sent an alert to its California members reminding them about the consequences of the equal-time provision. The provision would also apply to stations in neighboring states that reach a sizable number of California voters.

''It's doubtful Arnold's movies will be shown on local broadcast stations between now and the election,'' said Dennis Wharton, an NAB spokesman.

Equal time is not automatic. Candidates must file a request within seven days, and the provision makes exceptions for appearances on news programs, interview programs such as ''Meet the Press,'' documentaries or spot coverage of news events.

The FCC has ruled in the past that shows such as ''Entertainment Tonight'' and ''Access Hollywood,'' which are likely to devote a lot of air time to the celebrity aspect of the election, qualify as news shows.

The number of candidates in California's recall race makes equal-time concerns even more thorny. The one candidate with questionable standing? Gray Davis.

California's recall statute does not recognize Davis as a candidate in the recall election, but the FCC most likely would, based on a previous ruling.

The Oct. 7 ballot will ask voters if they want to recall Davis, but his name will not appear on the list of replacement candidates. The FCC ruled in a similar recall situation that it would be unfair not to give the incumbent an equal chance to answer his critics.

The rule also requires broadcasters and radio stations to offer candidates their lowest advertising rates, a right that would be given to Davis along with the other candidates based on the FCC's previous ruling.

Celebrity candidacies have led to broadcasting dilemmas in the past.

In 2000, some CBS affiliates in East Texas had to pre-empt some rerun episodes of ''Walker, Texas Ranger,'' because character actor Noble Willingham, who appeared as a bartender on the show, was running for Congress.

When Reagan ran for California governor in the 1960s, the show ''Death Valley Days'' took on a different host to avoid being essentially barred from the air.

In 1972, NBC aired a Doris Day movie in which comedian Pat Paulsen appeared for 30 seconds. Because Paulsen had launched a satiric presidential campaign, he was ruled a legitimate candidate. Two Republican candidates requested and got 30 seconds in the same time slot as a result.

RW

 

[plethos]

An article from Oct 1, 1999 says:
"Actor and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Talk magazine that he's thought about running for office many times."
http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9910/01/showbuzz/index.html

And an Nov 6, 2002 article says:
"the initiative was seen by many as a handy entry into the political arena for Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has acknowledged an interest in a possible run for governor after the White House encouraged him last year"
http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/11/06/showbuzz/index.html

again, this really isn't news

 

[ROID WARRIOR]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug. 19) - Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the backup Democratic candidate in the recall election of Gov. Gray Davis, has some hard news for Californians if they promote him to the Capitol's corner office.

A day after the U.S. Justice Department signed off on the Oct. 7 election, Bustamante was to give a glimpse of how he might run the state in a plan he calls ``Tough Love for California.''

In a Tuesday news conference at his home in a Sacramento suburb, Bustamante planned to outline nearly $8 billion in new taxes or fees and $4.5 billion in cuts or savings.

The Department of Justice said Monday that the compressed schedule of the Oct. 7 special election, just 50 days away, would not violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The issue has been raised by civil rights lawsuits seeking to postpone the election.

``This is plain vanilla, black and white, setting the election date. This is not a problem,'' said Jorge Martinez, a Justice Department spokesman.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Los Angeles said he would rule Wednesday on separate arguments to postpone the election because some counties will use old punch-card voting machines. The American Civil Liberties Union claims that the machines used in six counties have error rates as high as 3 percent.

Bustamante picked up a number of endorsements Monday. The California State Employees Association, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen and the California Conference of Carpenters are rallying behind his mixed message campaign intended to keep a Democrat in the governor's office if Davis loses.

Bustamante is encouraging a ``no'' vote on the recall, but a vote for him on the second portion of the ballot.

The influential Latino Legislative Caucus - which includes 15 members of the state Assembly and nine state senators - voted unanimously against recall but in support of Bustamante, the state's highest ranking Hispanic official. The vote came after two of Davis' chief aides urged them to endorse a no vote on the recall.

``If the recall does pass, we feel strongly that Cruz is the individual on the ballot who will represent our interests and the interests of all Californians,'' said Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza.

Hispanics make up about a third of the state's 35 million residents and 14 percent of voters.

Bustamante's plan for helping the state recover from its financial problems after the Legislature and Davis patched leaks in the states's record $38 billion deficit is the first of major policy announcements by high-profile candidates in the week after the slate of 135 candidates was certified by the secretary of state.

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has been criticized for not offering a specific agenda, planned to discuss his economic policies Wednesday.

Schwarzenegger will hold a news conference after a private meeting with advisers who include billionaire investor Warren Buffett and former Secretary of State George Shultz, the Republican's spokesman Rob Stutzman said Monday.

On the same day, Schwarzenegger is set to begin airing television ads.

Fellow moderate Republican Peter Ueberroth, the former baseball commissioner, plans to make his first campaign appearances Wednesday.

08/19/03 08:14 EDT