California Republicans rally around Schwarzenegger

ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) – Despite his plummeting
popularity with voters, California Republicans rallied around
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at a party convention on Saturday
and blamed his woes on a smear campaign by organized labor.

Schwarzenegger, who announced on Friday he would seek
re-election in 2006, addressed a boisterous luncheon of more
than 500 supporters who frequently interrupted his 22-minute
speech with applause and chants of “Four more years.”

Schwarzenegger’s next big political fight comes in
November, when he has called a special election on initiatives
on redistricting, the budget and extending teachers’ probation
period to five years from two.

“It’s hard to change a system that doesn’t want to be
changed,” he said about his difficulties this year. “I know,
I’ve taken the blows and I’m bloodied but unbowed.”

The former Hollywood star signaled anti-union rhetoric
would be a key theme in this fall’s campaign by backing
Proposition 75, which seeks to give union members a say in
whether union dues are used for political lobbying.

“Big government unions should not use members’ funds as a
personal kitty,” Schwarzenegger said. “Union bosses have too
much power over members’ paychecks and too much power over our
state.”

Supporters echoed the theme, with John Madriz of the
California Republican National Hispanic Assembly saying, “Union
leaders have lost touch with their own membership and are
trying to blame the governor for everything.”

A coalition of union groups including teachers, nurses and
firefighters have waged a publicity campaign this year hoping
to weaken Schwarzenegger’s ability to promote his ballot
agenda.

Lou Paulson, president of the California Professional
Firefighters, condemned Schwarzenegger’s endorsement of
Proposition 75 as part of a master anti-union plan.

“We, the firefighters, teachers, nurses, police have worked
to protect our communities, schools, and health care from the
governor and his bad ideas,” he said in a statement. “Prop. 75
was designed and financed by the governor’s political team and
corporate special interests to silence our voices and make it
easier for him and his big business pals to harm education,
health care and public safety.”