Is Governor Schwarzenegger on his Last Leg?

There is always the danger of electing an actor, wrestler or comedian. Once in a great while, you get a Reagan, but most of the time you get people like Al Franken, Jesse Ventura or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Maybe it is an omen that both Ventura and Schwarzenegger played in the movie Predator. Will Schwarzenegger's political life follow that of his co-star?

I would venture to say his low esteem on the totem poll of popularity right now, is a direct result of his spending ways and comments on spending other state money in the stimulus package.

When you have the following headlines, why not the fall in poll numbers.

California Asks For TARP Bailout

You knew this was coming.

There have been various ideas floated for how the federal government can bail out the state of California. Some of it's already happening via money coming in through the stimulus. And a plan to backstop the entire muni market would be a (not so subtle) backdoor bailout of California, if it happens.

Indeed, you knew it was coming, but you knew this was coming too.

California Voters Say Cut Government Spending, Don’t Raise Taxes

Californians will vote next Tuesday on a series of budget-related propositions, and one thing is clear from new Rasmussen Reports telephone polling in the state: Voters aren’t in the mood for tax increases to ease California’s budget woes.

Seventy-three percent (73%) of California voters oppose raising state income taxes to eliminate the budget deficit. Raising the state sales tax is opposed by 69%.

At the same time, 69% favor major cuts in government spending to eliminate the budget deficit. Just 16% oppose the spending cuts.

Translation for the Gubanator, when you go telling the public that you will take unused federal stimulus money, that's not what people want to hear.

There is also a reason behind businesses that have accepted the TARP money and they are trying to return it. The same will apply when stimulus money is used. The devil is always in the hidden details of federal money.

People are figuring out real quick, that the stimulus money is not free and they will have to pay for it later.

Instead, people want government cut, not maintained or grown. This is something Palin should look at very closely when she decides the fate of the stimulus package.