Arnie Mulls Over Role As California Running Man

Plans are under way to terminate the reign of the governor of California, Gray Davis. And the man who could take his place is a former Mr Universe, better known as Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Governor Davis, a Democrat who was re-elected only last November, is facing a bid to recall him, a process that requires nearly 900,000 of the electorate to sign a petition to trigger a recall vote and a new election, possibly this year.

The recall campaign claims that Mr Davis, who is facing a budget crisis, lied about the depth of the deficit to win re-election. And although no governor has been recalled before, he is seen as vulnerable.

Leading the bid to have him recalled is Darrell Issa, an Arab-American Republican congressman who became a multi-millionaire when he sold his security alarms business and who has gubernatorial ambitions. He is funding the recall campaign himself.

Yesterday his campaign manager, Scott Taylor, said that they had already got around 287,000 signatures of the 897,000 needed and had no doubt they would reach their target in time to trigger a November vote.

Initially, Mr Davis's strategy was to downplay the recall efforts, but now the campaign is being taken seriously. This week his supporters, including union and church leaders, announced the formation of a committee called Taxpayers Against the Recall. But Democrats admit privately that a recall vote is almost inevitable.

Watching all this is Schwarzenegger, star of the films Total Recall and The Running Man. He has made no secret of his interest in a political career and last year took soundings to see what his chances were.

It had been assumed that he would run for governor in 2006, leaving him time to raise funds and carry out his marketing obligations for his new film, Terminator 3. But now he could find himself tempted to take on an unloved incumbent.

Yesterday Sean Walsh, one of Schwarzenegger's political advisers, said no decision had been made.

He referred to a pledge by the actor this week to consult family and friends before deciding. The star also said that his wife, Maria Shriver, who is President John F Kennedy's niece and works for NBC, would have to "give the green light - she moved away from Washington to get away from all that kind of stuff".

Schwarzenegger, 55, became a US citizen in 1983 and was made chairman of the president's council on physical fitness and sports by George Bush Sr. He has the ear of the White House.

Mr Issa's team are well aware Schwarzenegger may run. "It's going to be a heck of a campaign," Mr Taylor said. He added that Mr Issa, a conservative on issues such as abortion and gun control, would stand regardless of Schwarzenegger's decision.

Commentator and former Democratic party adviser Bill Bradley said yesterday that any recall would be the result of voter dissatisfaction.

"Californians want to have their cake, ice cream, apple pie and Diet Coke," he said. "They don't want to cut any services but they don't want to raise any taxes other than on cigarettes. There is an air of unreality."

He said Schwarzenegger was more moderate than his screen image led people to believe. "He's pro-choice, pro-gay rights," Mr Bradley said. "He's a member of the Kennedy family and some of that, I think, has rubbed off on him."

He said Schwarzenegger was "very meticulous" and might yet decide that a bid in 2006 would be a safer option.

Bob Mulholland, campaign adviser to the California Democratic party, said most states were in dire financial straits and 46 other governors also had deficit budgets. The Democrats were getting ready to fight, he said.