WASHINGTON (CNN) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger welcomes presidential candidates to his state, but he made clear Thursday that Californians aren't going to give them a free ride.

In a speech marked with sarcasm at a Sacramento policy conference, the California Republican warned presidential hopefuls to speak beyond their carefully worded slogans and lay out where they stand on a range of issues important to Americans.

"It's very important that the candidates let us know how they feel about the very important issues," Schwarzenegger said. "I want to know how they would go about, when they go back to Washington, to bring Democrats and Republicans together."

On immigration reform specifically, Schwarzenegger mocked what he called the candidates' "regular rhetoric."

"We don't want to hear the regular rhetoric, 'We should be firm but compassionate.' What does that really mean?" he said to laughter from the crowd. "Let's go into specifics, let's find out what they're talking about."

On universal healthcare, Schwarzenegger sharply criticized the federal government's handling of the issue and said the candidates should clearly make their positions known.

"We know that the federal government hasn't shown any leadership in federal healthcare," he said. "I mean they've talked since 1912, since Teddy Roosevelt they've talked about healthcare. Where is the action? We are a hundred years later, almost a hundred years and we still haven't seen it. I want to know the candidate's position on this issue."

Last Thursday, Schwarzenegger signed a measure that officially moves California's presidential primary up to February 5, hoping the country's largest state will play a more crucial role in determining the partys' 2008 nominees.

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer last week, Schwarzenegger said he would likely not endorse a candidate before the primary process.

-- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney