Mr. Schwarzenegger, in an interview in the Bedouin-style smoking tent he has set up in the courtyard of the State Capitol here -- smoking is banned in state buildings -- made it clear that he expected a prominent role at the Republican National Convention in New York in late August.

[I doubled over in stifled laughter halfway through that paragraph]

'Whether I'm speaking, I'll leave that up to them,' said Mr. Schwarzenegger, a global celebrity who has emerged as perhaps the most intriguing new Republican face of the political season. 'If they're smart, they'll have me obviously in prime time.'

No one has ever accused Mr. Schwarzenegger, no matter what role he is in, of lacking self-confidence, and the governor himself knows that both his celebrity and his superhero screen image are at the core of his distinctive and so far successful political style. Asked to describe his governing philosophy seven months after toppling Gray Davis in California's recall election, he said, 'Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women.'

He stopped himself. 'Wait a minute, that's Conan,' he said. 'I stepped out of character here for a second.'

The governor, his skin and hair the color of a tarnished brass bed [here, I fell out again], his pectoral muscles testing the strength of his shirt buttons, is clearly a man enjoying himself and at ease with power.

Flashing a jade ring as he talked, he ruminated on his introduction to government, in the 15-by-15-foot courtyard tent where he does much of his private business. It is decorated with rattan chairs, orchids, a humidor, a mirror, floor fan and books written by Mr. Schwarzenegger.

There was an expensive, half-burned cigar in a Baccarat crystal ashtray. The tent itself was placed precisely 20 feet from the doors leading to the governor's offices to comply with state smoking regulations.

Mr. Schwarzenegger said business lessons he learned in Hollywood applied directly to running the nation's most populous state. Success, he said, requires a combination of discipline, optimism, humor, a willingness to share credit and good cigars, and an ability to cut back-room deals.

He defended his practice of negotiating key sections of important legislation and the budget behind closed doors or in his smoke-filled tent...

[About a third of the article goes by. Then here's the nut in the last two 'graphs, a quirk of the NYT that I've pointed out in the past]

On fiscal matters, Mr. Schwarzenegger considers himself an old-school Republican determined to ferret out waste. No item is too minor to escape his attention.

For instance, since Mr. Schwarzenegger took office on Nov. 17, the toilet paper in the Capitol has been switched from two-ply to one-ply, a saving of thousands of dollars over the years. 'It's not anymore the two-ply,' he said. 'Because you know what? We're trimming. We're living within our means."

Orchids. Crystal ashtrays. Free cigars for the lobbyists. Hella bronzer. And one-ply tissue.

Yes, California will be just fine.