CAMPAIGN AD, STAT!

Now this is a good angle for Gray.

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have charged into a dead-end canyon by vowing to repeal an increase in California's so-called car tax, which just so happens to be a major funding source for police and fire protection in the city.

Almost immediately after Schwarzenegger promised this week to void a three-fold jump in the state's vehicle licensing fee, Democrats rounded up a bevy of police chiefs and firefighters for a news conference to warn that public safety faced a devastating hit should the $4.2 billion in additional fees fail to materialize.

"Public safety can easily eat up three-quarters of a city's general-fund budget," noted Rick TerBorch, chief of police in Arroyo Grande and the president of the California Police Chiefs Association.

"Given the extent that VLF funds local general funds -- 14 (percent to) 40 percent on average -- a cut in the VLF would be devastating."

Sounds like a number of firemen might end up being thrown into Boston Harbor along with the tea of California conservatives, so to speak.

Is it bad that this might get lost in the whole T&Ator hoopla? Actually I kinda like it, it certainly makes Gray look pretty good focusing on this.

No matter what happens, the next 5 days will be mighty ugly.

And from the looks of it, Davis hit the right note in his reaction to the groping story:

"I would just rather leave this matter to the voters of this state. They will digest it. They will decide what importance to attach to it. And they will decide what impact it has on the choices before them next Tuesday.

"I've been saying (that) one thing has become clear over the last several days ... we no longer have 135 choices to make. It's really one choice that's likely to emerge from (ballot) question number 2: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"And that leaves the voters with a clear choice. They can retain Gray Davis as governor or they can elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and his crew from (former Gov.) Pete Wilson to run the governor's office.

"That's the choice they'll have to make. I'm sure they'll make it fairly, to determine who's best qualified to lead this state."

Though you can see how Bustamante is completely forgotten in all of this.