Arnold Jumps Aboard The Prop. 93 Train

Well that's... interesting.

oftening his past opposition to changes to California's term-limits law, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is endorsing a February ballot measure that would allow many sitting lawmakers to run for office again this year rather than be forced to leave the Legislature.

Schwarzenegger, who as a candidate in 2003 supported California's existing term-limits law as a shield against "special interests" obtaining too much power, reversed himself in an essay released today that said the original law "went too far."

"Under the current system, our elected officials are not given the time they need to reach their full potential as public servants," Schwarzenegger wrote in an essay to be published in The Times on Tuesday. "Imagine what would happen if we told a big-city police chief or a sheriff he could stay in the job just long enough to start mastering it and then had to move on."

The op-ed announcing the endorsement is here, and it amusingly includes the line "It takes time to learn how to govern effectively." You said it, Arnold, not me. Also, considering you're in your fifth year, what's your excuse?

The No on 93 campaign is kind of freaking out about this, calling it the result of a "deal on healthcare." Obviously, they're a bit scared. This will help the Yes campaign, though I don't think it's decisive. But Schwarzenegger remains popular, particularly among low-information voters, and in what will be a relatively high-turnout election, his endorsement will certainly be an aid.