Beatty Tries to Crash Schwarzenegger Rally
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Actors Warren Beatty (search) and wife Annette Bening (search) tried to crash a campaign appearance Saturday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) as the governor sought to drum up last-minute support for a group of statewide ballot measures.
The Hollywood couple strode side-by-side to the entrance of an airport hangar where several hundred of the governor's supporters had gathered.
A Schwarzenegger aide told the "Bulworth" star he was not on the guest list and did not have the appropriate wristband to get inside.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You have to have a wristband to listen to the governor?" Bening asked. "He represents all of us, right?"
The couple's appearance caused momentary confusion. Just before the governor took the stage, the hangar door was closed — literally in their faces. It was later reopened as Schwarzenegger spoke.
Inside, Schwarzenegger told cheering supporters that his slate of four ballot proposals on Tuesday's ballot would "reform the broken system."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Beatty planned to shadow Schwarzenegger throughout the day as the governor campaigned. He has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible challenger to Schwarzenegger, but he said Saturday that he would not be a candidate in next year's gubernatorial race.
In a later interview, the governor alluded to Beatty only indirectly.
"There's the main event, then there is the sideshow," Schwarzenegger said. "I don't care about the sideshow."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier, Beatty boarded a bus draped with a banner reading "Truth Squad" and urged people to vote against the ballot measures supported by Schwarzenegger.
His appearance at the Schwarzenegger rally drew the ire of some of the governor's supporters who called Beatty a liberal and a has-been actor.
"I'm trying to be gentle about it, but it's clear that Warren is over the hill and desperately looking for something else to do," said former San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Beatty, a Democrat and longtime political activist, told reporters he had no plans to run for public office, but didn't rule it out entirely.
"I don't want to run for governor," he told reporters. "I want to say what I think."
Schwarzenegger, who later appeared with Arizona Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), is pushing several measures that would curb the power of the Democrat-controlled Legislature and the state's public employee unions. Another measure he backs would extend the trial period for teaches to get tenure.