Untitled Arnold Schwarzenegger Project

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is confusing people!

The East Coast media drop anchor in California today on the Republican governor's big week, and they have a lot of questions. Why take away welfare from children and then force their parents to buy health insurance? He'll protect the environment, but wants to build dams. But wait, he wants to build dams to protect us from global warming? He's blowing my mind. For his part, the NYT's Paul Krugman sees it two ways (fee required) about the universal health care plan: Schwarzenegger treats health care as a right, which is good, but the plan is too complicated. Excerpts here.

But perhaps worst of all, Schwarzenegger has Warren Beatty confused. From the Hollywood Reporter today, which asked the "information sponge" a few questions, such as: "You're very interested in politics. What do you think of California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger?

"A: We're acquaintances. Since he has in the past year become more of a Democrat, he's learned a lot and is doing better. He's also a likable guy. I was not fond of all those conservative propositions that he was advocating in that special election. After his defeat on that, I think he's responded in a more constructive way. The bottom line on Arnold as far as I'm concerned is that I don't know quite what his politics are of the moment. [Snip]

Where the heck is our Republican governor? At least in terms of Schwarzenegger's negotiating position, Bruce Cain with U.C. Berkeley sums it up nicely (as usual) in the NYT: "The fact that no one knows exactly where Arnold is on the political spectrum means that everyone can imagine that he is closer to them."

(Photo: Donald Weber / Getty Images)