Schwarzenegger 'absolutely committed' to reform
By Judy Woodruff
CNN Washington Bureau
 |  Schwarzenegger: "I don't have to think about running for president because the constitution doesn't even allow me to do that." |
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 I am excited about what I'm doing. And I love battles. I love the fights. I love the struggle. Because it's all a means to an end. And the end is to reform California. 
-- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is being put to the test on a number of fronts these days -- political trials that may be even tougher than the on-screen confrontations he was famous for in his movie-making days.
I went to California earlier this week to talk to Arnold Schwarzenegger about the challenges he's facing -- in the governor's office and at home. I began by asking him if he still loves his job.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I think that -- when my father- in-law Sergeant Shriver said to me, 25 years ago after I met his daughter Maria, he said to me the most noble profession you can have is being a public servant.
And I said to myself, where's he coming from? What does that mean? I mean, I'm trying to climb the ladder in show business and become a big action hero in the movies and all those things and make millions of dollars. I didn't know what he was talking about. But now I do, because now I feel exactly that way.
And of course, there are ups and downs. Of course there are struggles, there's big confrontations and all of those kind of things. But that's OK. This is all part of it.
WOODRUFF: Well, let me ask you about that, because a year ago right after you were elected after the recall, you were one of the most popular politicians in the country. People were saying he's a breath of fresh air. You had not just Republicans, but Democrats who were ready to work with you.
Now we hear about all these protesters, nurses and teachers and firefighters and police, you got some legislators who are upset with you. Poll numbers have dropped among Democrats and independents. What happened?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, as soon as you get into the real issues, into the belly of the beast, and you are trying to reform things, that's when you start rattling the cage.
And this is when the people that have created the problem are then getting really, really angry at you. And they are unleashing and spent all of those millions of dollars to try to take you down.
WOODRUFF: You don't think you were too idealistic or you under estimated the strength of the opposition here?
SCHWARZENEGGER: No. I think that it's not underestimating the strength of the opposition. I knew that they have tremendous power. Remember, that right after my State of the State address I said they are going to spend $200 million against me and against my reforms.
And that's exactly what they are doing. They are spending every week, $5 million every week. And all the unions come together, because they are fighting. And because they don't want to have change.
So, I knew that. Some people say that I have taken on too much. Some people say why don't you do one reform a year? What do you think I'm going to hang out in Sacramento for the next hundred years to create all the reforms that I want?
Special election in November?
WOODRUFF: But you did already have to pull back one of the four legs of the stool: pension reform. Are you absolutely committed to going ahead in November with the special election?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I'm absolutely committed to going ahead and creating the reform. How we are going to go and get there is not as important to me because as you know, right from the beginning, when after -- even during my State of the State address, I made it very clear that I want to work with the legislators.
Last year we were very successful. Democrats and Republicans working together, that's how we solved a lot of the problems. That's what I want to do this year. Even though last year it took the threat of the ballot initiative. That's what we're doing this year.
WOODRUFF: I ask, because a number of people I talked to said they think you may end up deciding not to do the special election after all if you think it's going to lose.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Oh, no. It's not going to lose.
It may not win all of the reforms. I'm actually very convinced that it will win all the reforms, because the polls are very clear that the people -- 80 percent of the people think that when you give them the choice of raising taxes versus cutting spending, say cut spending.
WOODRUFF: Another thing you talked about in your campaign, you ran against the special interests. And you talked about how they have taken over the state, that it was money comes in and they get out what they want. And you've continued to talk about that.
The reporters I'm talking to getting ready for this interview [say] people are inclined to what you say, but wait a minute, he's got his own set of special interests who are contributing to the money he's trying to raise for his campaign fund, $50 million war chest. Money from big companies, financial interests, real estate interests, pharmaceutical interests. How are those special interests any different from the other special interests that you have been running against?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Now the fund raising that I do is for my initiatives. The only way that I can have initiatives on the ballot is first by all gathering the signatures. The signature gathering costs $15 million.
And then to go on television and communicate with the people, and to send out the flyers and all those things that cost other money. So, you have to have this kind of a money in order to create the reform. That's the way the system works.
But here's the important thing and the difference: I cannot be bought. I have plenty of money myself. No one can give me $100,000 and think that I'm going to go and change my policy or my thinking. It would never happen. Whereas those guys at our Capitol are very vulnerable. They have no money. So, they get the money from the special interests and from those unions and then favors go back. This is unfair to the people of California.
Family life
WOODRUFF: So, Governor Schwarzenegger may be up for a political fight but what about his wife and children? Your wife, Maria Shriver, recently commented that being governor is an all-encompassing job. She said she wants you back home.
SCHWARZENEGGER: First of all you can't blame her, because any smart woman would rather have me at home than to have me stuck in the Capitol and working, sometimes working till 12 midnight, sometimes till 3:00 in the morning. That's a given. It's also given she wants me to be at home with the children.
And we have had those debates also when I was in movies. When I went on location, when I went filming, I was gone sometimes for a week or two, gone to various different places. She was not happy with that.
Because I think when you get married, you know, you want to do as much as possible together. You want to raise the kids together. You want to create the family together and all this. And she is one of those women that likes to do things together. And this is absolutely perfectly normal and also it's right.
I'd rather have someone complaining that I'm not at home enough than someone complaining saying you are at home too much. So this is perfectly fine with me.
WOODRUFF: So, when she says she wants you back home. And she said emphatically in an interview recently. She sounds like she is saying she doesn't want you to run for reelection.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, I told Maria, I sent her flowers after she said that. Because I think it's the nicest compliment as a husband that you can have.
Now, this is wishful thinking because you know I'm -- by nature a very calm person, but also a restless person at the same time. And I always like to work and do things and create things and fix things and so on. And I think that's part of why I have been successful in several areas, because I'm a hardworking person.
Like I took on this job, I committed myself full, full time. I mean no matter what it takes, I want to fix the broken system. And I'm going to work that out with Maria, what she likes, if she wants me at home or not. And we're going to get to the decision next year.
View from the kids
WOODRUFF: You mention being a father, the role of father. Your wife, Maria, also said of your children, they just think that's his gig and they can't wait for it to be over.
SCHWARZENEGGER: That's right. Yes. My kids are very upset, because when they come up to visit me in Sacramento for them that's boring.
And when they used to visit me it was on a movie set -- where we blew up cars, where there was fire, where there was all kinds of action and fight scenes and all this stuff. And they came to do the homework in my trailer. And whenever I went out to do some scenes they would be watching. They would be bringing their friends by there showing off. Look what my daddy does, he's an action hero and all those things. Now none of this is happening.
Now they come here to boring place, the way they look at me. For me it's exciting, but for them it's a boring place to come to the Capitol.
WOODRUFF: So, if you decide to run again, it sounds like it's going to be against the wishes of your family.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well remember, that they were not jumping with joy the last time I ran. I took a long conversation with Maria for days and days and days as we always do to flush things out. Which eventually, her mother came to my rescue. Eunice said, "Maria, you got to let the man do what they want to do. Because this is meant to be. He has to run. He will be a good governor. You should support him."
That's exactly when Maria changed like that. And she said, "All right. This is what I should do. I should support what you're doing."
And I was delighted about that, because I knew that she would make a terrific first lady. And she is an unbelievable first lady.
Eye on the White House?
WOODRUFF: But what everybody I've talked to told me I had to ask you is, are you running for president? Is that even -- is that something that you could seriously end up doing?
SCHWARZENEGGER: No. I'm not thinking about that. I can honestly tell you I tried to block all thoughts about the running, re-election, running for higher office -- any of this is blocked out. I want to deal with the kind of problems that you have. Because I think -- it's very clear that if you do a great job here, then the other options are all open even though, you know, I don't have to think about running for president because the constitution doesn't even allow me to do that.
So, if it all -- I would think about down the line when this is done, do I want to run again or not. So, that's really the question that is open.
WOODRUFF: So the message to everybody watching, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is he's happy doing what he is doing?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I am excited about what I'm doing. And I love battles. I love the fights. I love the struggle. Because it's all a means to an end. And the end is to reform California.
Judy Woodruff is CNN's prime anchor and senior correspondent. She also anchors "Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics," weekdays at 3:30 pm ET.
