Schwarzenegger sworn in as California governor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in Monday as the 38th governor of California, completing a meteoric rise from bodybuilder and action hero to leader of the nation's most populated state in a historic recall election.\nThe 56-year-old Austrian immigrant took the oath of office before an audience of 7,500 dignitaries and supporters on the steps of the Capitol.\nSchwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, held the Bible while California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George administered the oath.\n"I am humbled, I am honored and I am moved beyond words to be your governor," Schwarzenegger said after being sworn in.\n"I enter this office beholden to no one except you, my fellow citizens. I pledge my governorship to your interests, not to special interests," he added.\nAlthough he had no prior experience as an elected official, the Republican Schwarzenegger was swept into office in the Oct. 7 election that ousted Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, reviled by the voters for his handling of the state's ailing economy.\nThe ceremony, while steeped in tradition, was void of the pageantry often associated with California inaugurations.\nBitterness over the divisive recall vote and the state's financial troubles prompted Schwarzenegger to put a damper on livelier festivities. Former Miss America Vanessa Williams, who appeared with Schwarzenegger in the 1996 film "Eraser," sang the national anthem.\nNearly 740 journalists were expected to cover the ceremony. Fifteen dignitaries from 13 countries were in attendance, including representatives from Canada, Egypt, Austria and several from Mexico.\nThe new governor was surrounded by his four children, who had remained out of public view during much of the recall campaign.\nLater in the day, Schwarzenegger was to attend three events: a luncheon inside the Capitol rotunda for state and federal officials, a private family gathering across the street and an invitation-only reception sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce.\nHe was scheduled to return to the Capitol by mid-afternoon to start the business of running California's government, a job that became more daunting over the weekend when his chief financial deputy pegged the state budget deficit at $25 billion.\nAn immigrant who arrived in the United States at age 21 barely able to speak English, Schwarzenegger is a quick study who impressed even some of his critics with his raw political skills. But he has nonetheless also made many promises to voters that will be hard to keep, including repealing a big hike in the car tax on his first day in office. That will add an estimated $4 billion to the deficit.\nSchwarzenegger has said he will call the Legislature back into session, probably today, to deal with a range of issues, including budget cuts, reform of the state's worker compensation system and a repeal of a new law that lets undocumented workers get drivers' licenses.\nDemocrats, who control both houses of the Legislature, have said they will be willing to give the new governor a chance, but most observers agree that the political goodwill will not last, presenting the new governor with even more challenges.\nThe recall movement was launched in February by grassroots activists angered over the state's budget woes and the prospect of higher taxes. GOP Rep. Darrell Issa bankrolled the effort, spending $1.7 million of his fortune to get the measure on the ballot.\nSchwarzenegger quickly became a contender after announcing his candidacy Aug. 6 on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."\nThe "Terminator" star cast himself as an outsider and claimed to be beholden to no special interests, even though he, too, accepted large campaign contributions from developers and major business interests.\nIn the days before the election, the Los Angeles Times published allegations that Schwarzenegger had groped several women over the past 30 years. Schwarzenegger admitted he had "behaved badly sometimes," but with Shriver a fixture at his side, he quickly recovered.\nSchwarzenegger won with 48 percent of the vote over a list of 134 other candidates vying to replace Davis, who was bounced by 55 percent of the voters.\nStars such as Rob Lowe, Rob Reiner and Tom Arnold were seen around town before the ceremony, and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz was among a group of transition advisers who met with Schwarzenegger.