WP: Schwarzenegger Reaches Out to Democrats, Independents

Schwarzenegger Tries New Script
California Governor Reaches Out to Democrats, Independents
By John Pomfret and Sonya Geis
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, May 29, 2006; Page A03

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is attempting a political comeback as he faces reelection this year, courting Democrats and independent voters by distancing himself from President Bush and pushing an expensive bond proposal to rebuild California's levees, schools and highways.

Schwarzenegger, one of the nation's most prominent Republicans, has criticized Bush's plan to dispatch the National Guard to the Mexican border. He has appointed Democrats to key state jobs. In recent weeks, he helped engineer a bipartisan compromise to get the $37 billion bond proposal on the November ballot, traveling the state with Democratic legislative leaders to promote it. And he has embraced other causes popular with California's Democratic voters, including an increase in the minimum wage and a cap on greenhouse gases.

"If last November I told you just give it a few months, that he'd be running around the state with Democrat leaders by his side, you wouldn't have believed me and I would have felt like a fool telling you," said Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican strategist who has been a fierce critic of Schwarzenegger. "But he's doing it. All of the sudden, he has a record of accomplishment."

Dropping his combative, conservative style of last year, the governor is hoping to build support in a state where Democrats and independents account for nearly two-thirds of registered voters. His strategy is having some effect: In April, a Los Angeles Times poll showed his approval rating at 44 percent, up from 37 percent in October.

But he still has a way to go. A poll last week by the Public Policy Institute of California said a race now between Schwarzenegger and either of his likely Democratic opponents -- State Treasurer Phil Angelides or State Controller Steve Westly -- would be a tossup....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/28/AR2006052800791.html

I don't live in Ca. so I can't vote against this nut, but I sure hope the folks in Ca. have stopped giving this idiot the Star Quality tha got him elected in the first place!

vote for him in the recall don't fall for this crap again. What this should prove is that Schwarzenegger is a brazen opportunist who will change his ideology depending on the political tide.

There can't be that many stupid people in California.

in California. It will be much easier to convince voters that Enron Arnold won the election if they are told that it was going to be a "toss up".

I have an electric shock device in it that is going to give you one hell of a surprise.

a middle finger. The Dems should right now be flooding the airwaves with photos of Ahnuld and Smirk

You're a right winger. You support the right wing agenda. You rode the coat-tails of the right wing propoganda machine. Face it Herr Schwartznegger. You're one of them and you MUST go down with the ship.

Do us all a favor and drown in your steroid stew!