Yay!

Schwarzenegger to stump with Bush in Ohio Friday : official

Tue Oct 26, 7:55 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The Republican party's star act, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites), will stump alongside US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) on Friday in the battleground state of Ohio, officials said.


The movie star politician's spokesman Rob Stutzman, said Tuesday that the moderate Republican would join Bush in Columbus, the state capital of one of the most bitterly fought races in the November 2 presidential election.

The announcement that the moderate Republican would finally go out to bat for Bush put an end to months of speculation during which "Terminator" star Schwarzenegger has been vague about his stumping intentions.

Stutzman said the Bush campaign would announce the details of exactly where and when Schwarzenegger would launch his much-vaunted double act with the president in Columbus.

The hugely popular former Mr Universe bodybuilder and action hero is seen as a Republican Party big-gun just days ahead of what is shaping up to be one of the tightest US elections in years.

Bush's campaign is hoping that some of the brawny "govern-ator" star power will rub off on their candidate during the campaign outing that will come just four days ahead of the vote.

While Schwarzenegger appeared at the Republican convention in New York in late August, the socially liberal Schwarzenegger has largely kept his distance from the conservative Bush with whom he has little in common.

The two men are diametrically opposed on central policy issues including abortion, stem cell research, gun control and gay marriage, which Schwarzenegger supports and Bush strongly opposes.

Schwarzenegger's campaign foray comes after Democratic contender for the White House John Kerry (news - web sites) invoked his party's star attraction, popular former president Bill Clinton (news - web sites), to boost his polls chances.

Clinton, who is recovering from heart surgery, jumped into the campaign on Monday in key swing states of Pennsylvania and Florida to urge voters to pick Kerry for president in a week's time.

Fine.  We should get SOME use out of that goddamned RINO.