Posted 3:54 PM by Robert

Davis Descending XXIV: Schwarzenegger Uber Huffington

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, columnist Arianna Huffington and businessman Bill Simon filed papers to join the race. ... The trio of candidates in Norwalk submitted the necessary documents within a few minutes of each other this morning ... Schwarzenegger and wife Maria Shriver stepped out of a black sports utility vehicle ... Seconds later, Huffington arrived ... Huffington noted:

"We came here as two outsiders running against professionals but that is where the similarities end," said Huffington. "I arrived in a Prius, which gets 52 miles to the gallon, and he arrived in a large SUV."

Arianna apparently doesn't agree with Mickey Kaus' Ariarnold Schwarzenopoulos theorizing!

Amazingly, the Los Angeles Times reporter doesn't seem to notice the make of the Schwarzenegger SUV. Mickey Kaus criticized Schwarzenegger for driving what Kaus Files calls a Mercedes Gelandewagen to his Leno taping instead of Schwarzenegger's General Motors - built Hummer. A Prius is made by Japanese auto company Toyota. If Schwarzenegger drove the Hummer, Arianna may not have been all that swift to make her vehicular comparison.

And, Arianna, just imagine how little fuel efficiency all those state vehicles in Governor Gray Davis's motorcade get at 94 miles per hour! At those speeds one measures efficiency in gallons-per-mile! How could you pass up a mention of that!

UPDATE: Kaus Files with the latest: The SUV Schwarzenegger drove in to file his candidacy papers was a regular GMC Suburban, not a Hummer. So not only his he now driving domestic, he's moved several MPG closer to Arianna's Prius.

FURTHER UPDATE: Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, under pressure from fellow party members, dropped out two hours before the filing deadline, leaving Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as the only prominent Democrat on the ballot. Of course, the "ballot" here means the list of replacements/alternatives - on which Governor Davis' name does not appear according to law.

Will this relative closing of the Democratic ranks bring pressure on the lesser-polling Republicans and Republicanoids to withdraw?