The ABC News "exclusive" "Schwarzenegger Explains Why He Went Green" has Arnold chanelling Laurie David via Maria and contains this:

Schwarzenegger faces a re-election battle this fall, but said if Bush advisor Karl Rove were to call offering the president's help, he would decline the help because of the president's lack of popularity in California.

What's that smell? Let's turn to the 1/19/06 article "Schwarzenegger brings Bush strategist to 2006 campaign" for a clue:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, steeling for a tough 2006 campaign, has tapped another top White House veteran to join his re-election drive -- hiring Matthew Dowd, a lead architect of the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign to be his chief campaign strategist, sources said Wednesday.

The addition of Dowd, a confidant of top White House aide Karl Rove, Bush's former chief pollster and a former senior adviser to the Republican National Committee, is expected to be announced shortly. The GOP strategist heads ViaNovo, a management and communications firm in Austin, Texas.

Why, even the SDUT managed to (slightly) put two and two together:

So far as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his re-election campaign team are concerned, President Bush's middle initial might as well stand for "Who?"

...Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for the Schwarzenegger re-election campaign, said he's mindful of the potential anti-Republican tide, but not overly worried about it.

Although Dowd was a top adviser to Bush's 2004 re-election campaign and still counts himself a Bush loyalist, he is more than willing to help Schwarzenegger distance himself from the president.

"When the opportunity presents itself to show he's an independent leader, we're fine with that," Dowd said. "In California, they respect that."

Yes, here in California we really respect someone who pretends not to be a Bush/Rove puppet but who in in effect is kept on a very short leash not only by his wife but by those with deep ties to the White House. Maybe a protest vote for Angelides would be the best way to show how much we respect Arnold and his team. Note also this bit from ABC:

In the past year, Schwarzenegger's approval rating jumped from 36 to 49 percent. After taking a beating for governing as an anti-union, right-leaning Republican, he's gained approval by cutting deals with the Democratic legislature on the minimum wage, prescription drugs and now global warming.

Obvious to most, there are other explanations for the rise, including Arnold's unbelievably pathetic campaign (or lack thereof) for his bills, as well as the smears emanating from the unions having somewhat abated. And, if he had shown the Dems in the legislature for what they are instead of surrendering, his approval might be even higher and, needless to say, he would have done what's in the best interests of the state and the nation. Instead, he wimped out.