Arnie goes head to head with rivals in TV election debate

Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger attempted to terminate his rivals in the race for the governorship of California today, as the top candidates went head to head in a live TV debate.

With just two weeks until Californians vote to recall – or remove from office - Governor Gray Davies, the five favourite candidates did battle over the cable networks.

Terminator and Conan The Barbarian star Schwarzenegger, who has been criticised for refusing to take part in previous debates, gave a polished and well-rehearsed performance.

The Republican said California had given him a rags-to-riches life and he wanted “to give something back”.

He said: “A lot of friends of mine have asked me if I’m crazy to run for governor.

“They said to me I have the best life in the world, I have a good career ahead of me, a lot of money, and a wonderful family and when I went into politics they would try to cut me down.

“My answer to them is very simple. I wouldn’t have all these things if it wasn’t for California.”

He said he arrived with nothing but a “big dream... but now the politicians have let us down”.

Joining Schwarzenegger on stage, in Sacramento were Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, Republican state Senator Tom McClintock, Independent Arianna Huffington and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo.

Schwarzenegger, 56, was first to prompt applause from the audience when he accused Mr Bustamante of misleading the electorate over the economy, stricken by a €33bn budget deficit.

He said: “You have got to be honest with the people. Remember one thing, in California we have a three-strike system. You guys pulled the wool over people’s eyes twice, the third time now you are out.”

But Schwarzenegger’s performance could be overshadowed after it was reported yesterday that erotic nude pictures he once posed for could come back to haunt him.

The photographs were taken by the late Robert Mapplethorpe and aides to Schwarzenegger are said to be desperately trying to prevent the snaps being made public.

The pictures, said to have been taken when Arnie was a struggling actor, have been kept at Mapplethorpe’s New York estate since his death in 1989.

There was no mention of the potentially-embarrassing subject during the debate which was dominated by domestic issues such as economy, employment, education, immigration and race.

On occasion, in his attempt not to be shouted down, Arnie repeatedly spoke over other candidates and the moderator, refusing to be silenced.

The candidates had already been told what the questions were and each poser was delivered by a member of the public.

The recall vote is set to go ahead on October 7 after recent legal wrangling. Mr Davis, accused of mismanaging the state, and its budget in particular, needs the backing of at least 50% of the voters to save his job.

On Tuesday an 11-judge panel in the ninth circuit federal appeals court in San Francisco reversed a ruling made by three of their colleagues who said the vote should be put off.

The latest ruling rejected an argument by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that the elections should be postponed until March by when inaccurate punch-card voting machines in use in parts of the state would be replaced.

The same punch cards were used in the last presidential election, which saw the debacle and legal row between Democrat Al Gore and the current President George Bush over which votes were valid.

ACLU had claimed that up to 40,000 could be disenfranchised by the system.

In all there are 133 candidates bidding to oust Mr Davis. The hopefuls include single-issue campaigners and even a porn star.

The debate, screened on cable networks including CNN, MSNBC and Fox was a make or break affair for the candidates.

In a recent poll, one in five voters was undecided, and two-thirds said that the debate would influence their decision.