Ah-nuld!!!!
LOS ANGELES — Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) on Wednesday terminated a monthslong buildup of suspense when he announced he would jump into California's Oct. 7 recall election.
The Austrian-born actor, a Republican who is married into the Kennedy dynasty, revealed his intentions to replace beleaguered Democratic Gov. Gray Davis (search) during a taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
The announcement came as a surprise to many, as sources close to Schwarzenegger had been telling the media the actor had decided not to throw his hat into the ring. There was also speculation that his wife, journalist Maria Shriver, had urged him to stay out of the recall race.
Fox News has learned that the actor had even composed a press release as late as Tuesday announcing he would not run. Sources speculated Schwarzenegger's change of heart may have been prompted by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's announcement Wednesday ruling out a run.
"The politicians are fiddling, fumbling and failing," he said on "The Tonight Show." "The man that is failing the people more than anyone is Gray Davis. He is failing them terribly, and this is why he needs to be recalled and this is why I am going to run for governor."
Schwarzenegger's entry into the recall race gives California Republicans beneficial star power, but may also cast doubt on whether popular former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan (search) will also vie for the title of governor. Riordan, who is a close friend, had previously said he would run if Schwarzenegger decided not to.
Political commentator Arianna Huffington also declared Wednesday that she would run as an independent, one of the only other well-known names in the race so far.
Sen. Feinstein ruled out a run, labeling the election "more and more like a carnival every day."
Feinstein's decision not to run gave a big boost to Davis, while frustrating some Democrats who wanted her to run to ensure the governorship would remain in the party's hands if Davis lost.
"After thinking a great deal about this recall, its implications for the future, and its misguided nature, I have decided that I will not place my name on the ballot," Feinstein said in a statement.
"I deeply believe the recall is a terrible mistake and will bring to the depth and breadth of California instability and uncertainty, which will be detrimental to our economic recovery and decision-making," she said.
The recall election is yet another setback for Davis, who has seen his popularity plummet as the state grapples with a record $38 billion budget deficit.
It also is the latest force to bedevil Californians, who in recent years have endured an energy crisis, the collapse of the dot-com economy and a federally mandated cutback in one of the state's main water supplies. Residents now face the prospect of higher car taxes and college fees to close the state's budget gap.
Davis is the first California governor to face a recall and would be only the second governor nationwide to be removed from office if the effort succeeds.
Analysts from both parties believed the governor's chances for survival would have dramatically diminished if Feinstein, who tops polls as California's most popular politician, was on the ballot as an alternative.
Her decision came a day after a strong endorsement for Davis from the AFL-CIO. Both developments were key victories for the governor, whose support from fellow party members had appeared to be weakening.
"I'm very pleased with Sen. Feinstein's announcement," Davis told San Francisco radio station KGO-AM.
"To the extent that Democrats get in the race, it makes it look like a normal election, and legitimates what is really an effort by the right wing to steal back an election they couldn't win last November," he said. "I think at the end of the day people will realize that the party is better served rallying around its sitting governor."
Some party members still thought otherwise.
"I want to back the strongest candidate and it's important that we coalesce around one, and now I'm appealing to the leaders, the folks whose pay grade is one or two notches up from mine, to figure out who our strongest candidate is and lead us in coalescing behind that candidate," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who had supported a Feinstein candidacy.
One possibility was U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who had supported a Feinstein candidacy and said she might run if Feinstein didn't.
"I have a feeling something will be decided tomorrow probably one way or the other," said Sanchez's spokeswoman, Carrie Brooks.
Members of California's congressional delegation discussed the matter in a conference call Wednesday, with the majority leaning toward finding a consensus candidate, said a source familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Huffington, the ex-wife of former Republican Congressman Michael Huffington, announced her candidacy at a news conference in Los Angeles.
"I'm not, to say the least, a conventional candidate. But these are not conventional times," she said. "And if we keep electing the same kind of politicians who got us into the same kind of mess funded by the same kind of special interests, we'll never get out of this mess."
Michael Huffington also has taken out papers, but has not indicated whether he will enter the race.
The ballot also is likely to include several conservative Republicans. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, who funded the recall, is a declared candidate, and state Sen. Tom McClintock filed papers Tuesday. Businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in November, also is expected to run.
LOS ANGELES — Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) on Wednesday terminated a monthslong buildup of suspense when he announced he would jump into California's Oct. 7 recall election.
The Austrian-born actor, a Republican who is married into the Kennedy dynasty, revealed his intentions to replace beleaguered Democratic Gov. Gray Davis (search) during a taping of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
The announcement came as a surprise to many, as sources close to Schwarzenegger had been telling the media the actor had decided not to throw his hat into the ring. There was also speculation that his wife, journalist Maria Shriver, had urged him to stay out of the recall race.
Fox News has learned that the actor had even composed a press release as late as Tuesday announcing he would not run. Sources speculated Schwarzenegger's change of heart may have been prompted by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's announcement Wednesday ruling out a run.
"The politicians are fiddling, fumbling and failing," he said on "The Tonight Show." "The man that is failing the people more than anyone is Gray Davis. He is failing them terribly, and this is why he needs to be recalled and this is why I am going to run for governor."
Schwarzenegger's entry into the recall race gives California Republicans beneficial star power, but may also cast doubt on whether popular former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan (search) will also vie for the title of governor. Riordan, who is a close friend, had previously said he would run if Schwarzenegger decided not to.
Political commentator Arianna Huffington also declared Wednesday that she would run as an independent, one of the only other well-known names in the race so far.
Sen. Feinstein ruled out a run, labeling the election "more and more like a carnival every day."
Feinstein's decision not to run gave a big boost to Davis, while frustrating some Democrats who wanted her to run to ensure the governorship would remain in the party's hands if Davis lost.
"After thinking a great deal about this recall, its implications for the future, and its misguided nature, I have decided that I will not place my name on the ballot," Feinstein said in a statement.
"I deeply believe the recall is a terrible mistake and will bring to the depth and breadth of California instability and uncertainty, which will be detrimental to our economic recovery and decision-making," she said.
The recall election is yet another setback for Davis, who has seen his popularity plummet as the state grapples with a record $38 billion budget deficit.
It also is the latest force to bedevil Californians, who in recent years have endured an energy crisis, the collapse of the dot-com economy and a federally mandated cutback in one of the state's main water supplies. Residents now face the prospect of higher car taxes and college fees to close the state's budget gap.
Davis is the first California governor to face a recall and would be only the second governor nationwide to be removed from office if the effort succeeds.
Analysts from both parties believed the governor's chances for survival would have dramatically diminished if Feinstein, who tops polls as California's most popular politician, was on the ballot as an alternative.
Her decision came a day after a strong endorsement for Davis from the AFL-CIO. Both developments were key victories for the governor, whose support from fellow party members had appeared to be weakening.
"I'm very pleased with Sen. Feinstein's announcement," Davis told San Francisco radio station KGO-AM.
"To the extent that Democrats get in the race, it makes it look like a normal election, and legitimates what is really an effort by the right wing to steal back an election they couldn't win last November," he said. "I think at the end of the day people will realize that the party is better served rallying around its sitting governor."
Some party members still thought otherwise.
"I want to back the strongest candidate and it's important that we coalesce around one, and now I'm appealing to the leaders, the folks whose pay grade is one or two notches up from mine, to figure out who our strongest candidate is and lead us in coalescing behind that candidate," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who had supported a Feinstein candidacy.
One possibility was U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who had supported a Feinstein candidacy and said she might run if Feinstein didn't.
"I have a feeling something will be decided tomorrow probably one way or the other," said Sanchez's spokeswoman, Carrie Brooks.
Members of California's congressional delegation discussed the matter in a conference call Wednesday, with the majority leaning toward finding a consensus candidate, said a source familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Huffington, the ex-wife of former Republican Congressman Michael Huffington, announced her candidacy at a news conference in Los Angeles.
"I'm not, to say the least, a conventional candidate. But these are not conventional times," she said. "And if we keep electing the same kind of politicians who got us into the same kind of mess funded by the same kind of special interests, we'll never get out of this mess."
Michael Huffington also has taken out papers, but has not indicated whether he will enter the race.
The ballot also is likely to include several conservative Republicans. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, who funded the recall, is a declared candidate, and state Sen. Tom McClintock filed papers Tuesday. Businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in November, also is expected to run.
