ACTOR TAKES POSITIONS ON MEDICAL POT, GUN CONTROL

Schwarzenegger Sticks Close To Political Center

Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed medical marijuana and tough gun
control laws Wednesday while opposing gay marriage, "partial birth"
abortion and additional oil drilling off California's coast.

Aiming to stake out the political center, Schwarzenegger hit conservative
talk radio to dabble in a menu of social issues - but left open questions
about the details of his positions in a variety of controversial areas.

Schwarzenegger, in an appearance on the syndicated radio show hosted by
Sean Hannity, briefly tackled more than a dozen issues in a matter of minutes.

Schwarzenegger sounded confident, telling syndicated radio talk show that
"I cannot wait to get into office on Oct. 7."

But the actor devoted just a few words to major policy positions, leaving
his campaign staff to explain the details - and handing ammunition to his
opponents who say he is simply running out the clock on the election and
has not delivered a position on Proposition 54, the proposed ban on
racial-data gathering by the state.

"The election is historic. The voters are obviously upset. They deserve to
know what direction

your candidate is taking the state," said John Stoos, a strategist with
Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock, who is battling with Schwarzenegger
for the GOP vote. "That is the dilemma of the Arnold campaign. What is
Arnold? Pick your issue and it's the same thing . . . shifts and shuffles."

With just 41 days left before voters go to the polls, the actor-candidate - and his staff - are under increasing pressure to detail his views on a wide range of subjects. As of now, Schwarzenegger will be the only holdout at the first statewide debate at the Walnut Creek Regional Arts Center on Sept. 3.

Schwarzenegger's staff acknowledges that, while he has begun to hit the
airwaves, he has avoided detailed, one-on-one interviews with newspaper and
television political reporters. His spokesman, Rob Stutzman, said, "He
will. Reporters should be as patient as the readers of their newspapers."

In Wednesday's radio interviews, Schwarzenegger took a number of
potentially controversial positions that could widen the gulf between him
and the right wing of his party.

Asked about a bill that would provide driver's licenses for undocumented
immigrants, Schwarzenegger said, "I vote no on that." But he did not rule
out providing taxpayer-funded services to such immigrants, saying, "that's
a complicated issue, because what we have to do is find a way of including
them. ... there's amnesty deals."

He suggested he had deep sympathy for immigrants in such situations, saying,

"These are people that are working here, many of them are working here for
many, many, many years, and doing a great job. And so we have to figure out
how we handle that."

Asked if Schwarzenegger supported amnesty programs, Stutzman said, "When
you simply throw open amnesty, you create another incentive for more people
to come into the country and not be documented."

SUPPORT FOR BRADY BILL

On gun control, the actor stressed that he supported the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right of citizens to bear arms.
But he told Hannity he also supports the Brady Bill - signed in 1993 by
President Bill Clinton, which imposes a five-day waiting period and
background check on gun purchases - - and the assault-weapons ban, a
sweeping law to prohibit sale and possession of 19 assault weapons, also
signed by Clinton.

Schwarzenegger added that he would like to "close the loophole" that allows
unregulated firearms sales at gun shows.

Asked if gun owners might see a contradiction in his support for strong
restrictions on purchase and possession of guns, Stutzman said his
positions do not "infringe on their constitutional rights to firearms . . .
. It puts in place prudent measures such as background checks to make sure
criminals aren't buying guns."

Stutzman said he doesn't know if Schwarzenegger is a gun owner himself.

On the issue of abortion, Schwarzenegger told Hannity he was pro-choice -
but asked if he supports a form of late-term abortion that opponents call
"partial birth" abortion, the candidate said he did not.

Stutzman, asked if the candidate then ruled out the late-term abortion
under all circumstances - rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother - said Schwarzenegger is against the procedure. But Stutzman said that did not present a contradiction with his pro-choice position, saying that "women can exercise their right of choice through different procedures than one that involves an abortion outside the womb."

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION

On parental notification laws, which require minors to get the consent of their parents before getting birth control or abortions, the actor said he generally favors such laws except "in some cases, where there is abuse in the family or problems in the family, then the court should decide."

Stutzman said the actor hasn't stated a position yet on whether parental
consent should be required for minors to obtain birth control.

Schwarzenegger told Hannity he supports "domestic partnership," but
marriage should be "between a man and a woman." Asked if he supports
Vermont- style civil unions, Stutzman said Schwarzenegger supports the
current law in California on domestic partnership and is still studying a
bill pending in the Legislature that would give sweeping new rights to
registered domestic partners.

The actor, asked by Hannity if he supported drug legalization, called it "a
bad idea" but added, "I would legalize medical (marijuana)." Stutzman said
that he supports the idea of obtaining the drug with a doctor's
prescription but he has taken "no position" on distribution of medical
marijuana in clinics.

Schwarzenegger also said he would support "limited" school vouchers, which
Stutzman said means giving parents the opportunity to move their children
within the public school system if their own local school is lagging behind.

And, the candidate said, "I believe in prayer in school, and I believe it
should be up to the schools . . . in what direction they want to go."

Moving to environmental issues, the actor said he would "absolutely not"
support moves to expand oil drilling off the California coast. "We should
stop the oil drilling, and I think our state government and federal
government should negotiate to buy back the oil leases."

On economic issues, the actor said he would agree not to raise taxes,
except in a state "emergency," and added his first act in Sacramento would
be to "put a spending cap on those politicians. Because they can't help
themselves. They're addicts. They should go into an addiction place,
because it's ridiculous to spend money that you don't have."

But McClintock, reacting on Fox, immediately lambasted Schwarzenegger for
failing to make the no-tax pledge.

"The last time you want to raise taxes is in an emergency. That's why you
maintain budget reserves," McClintock said.

And the actor was also the target of other critics who said he hasn't
answered enough questions about his campaign - or his positions.

"He's as phony as his hair color," said Art Torres, chairman of the state
Democratic Party on Wednesday. "(He's saying) I'm so rich, I need money
from no one, and he's hired professional fund-raisers who work for George
Bush, and takes checks from the same "special interests" he's been fighting
against."

GOP consultant Wayne Johnson, who advised businessman Bill Simon, said
Schwarzenegger will still need to fill in the details of his business and
economic plans - which he said will drive the election.

"It has to come down to specifics," he said. "I just don't think you can
hum for 40 days and 40 nights, and not get around to the words."

"This election is about the financial crisis, and either you are going to
raise taxes and it's business as usual, or you'll say we will live within
our means," Johnson said. "And whoever articulates the message will be the
next governor."