SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will share thespecial election spotlight this week with a couple of Hollywoodcounterparts from the opposite side of the political fence.
Warren Beatty and Rob Reiner are working with groups opposing theRepublican governor's agenda to campaign against his initiatives.Both are actors and directors who have long supported Democraticcauses.
Beatty, an outspoken critic of the governor, has taped a radio adfor the California Nurses Association that calls on voters to turnout next week and turn down Schwarzenegger's "year of reform"initiatives.
Reiner, meanwhile, will staff a phone bank in Los Angeles onWednesday evening in an effort to convince voters to vote againstProposition 75, an initiative that seeks to reduce the money publicemployee labor unions can raise for political purposes.
He will be joined by other members of the American Federation ofTelevision and Radio Artists, said Chad Griffin, Reiner's politicalconsultant.
Schwarzenegger is promoting the union dues measure and three otherinitiatives on the Nov. 8 ballot: one that lengthens the probationaryterm for new teachers, one that imposes a cap on state spending andgives the governor authority to cut funding without legislativeapproval, and one that gives authority for drawing legislative andcongressional districts to a panel of retired judges.
Beatty said he believes the special election has been orchestratedso most voters will not participate and give Republicans a betterchance of passing their agenda.
"To me, it's a misuse of the initiative process," Beatty told TheAssociated Press on Tuesday.
In a campaign appearance last month, Reiner said the union duesmeasure was designed specifically to stifle political speech ofunionized workers.
Schwarzenegger defended the initiative Tuesday on a San Diegoradio program, saying the state's public employee unions have toomuch influence over the Legislature, which is controlled byDemocrats.
"It is wrong for the politicians to go and ask the union bosseswhether to make a move or not," the governor said.
California voters are inclined to oppose all four ballot measuressupported by Schwarzenegger, according to a pair of special electionpolls released Tuesday.
The Field Poll was the second in a week to show momentum movingagainst Schwarzenegger and his four "year of reform" measures. Itsfindings were largely echoed in another poll, released a few hourslater by the Los Angeles Times.
That survey found none of the governor's proposals holding amajority among those likely to go to the polls next week.
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