California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" tonight, the same show where he announced his sudden candidacy for governor years ago, shocking his own wife..

Schwarzenegger seems very comfortable and says several interesting things worth staying up for:

He would never authorize a solution to the illegal immigration problem like the one recently signed into law in Arizona by fellow Republican Gov. Jan Brewer. Illegal immigration is "a mess."

He blames the federal government, specifically Congress:

The last six years since I've been in office, they've been talking about it. And every single time, they say, "Well, this is election year.  We can't get it done."  Well, hello. I mean, every two years is election year.  So that is the history of the United States. (Applause) ...Get it done.  I mean, get it done. That's the important thing. Because it's irresponsible. We have all this stuff. We have the daily crossings. We have the crime. We have the guns that are being transported down to Mexico. 

We have cocaine and other drugs brought up here from Mexico, and we have human trafficking. I mean, it's a huge, huge mess, and the federal government does not....

In recent days some clever, creative colleagues of ours on LATimes.com have unveiled an amazing movie database, chronicling the famous names, bios, photos, maps and behind-the-scenes yarns about all of the 2,400+ celebrities on the Hollywood Walk of Stars.

The Hunks, the Comedians, the Silent Stars, the Bombshells, Bad Boys & Girls, Classic Hollywood, the Crooners, TV stars.

They asked The Ticket to contribute a page on The Politicians who came from the movies and TV. We decided to share that piece with you here this morning; there are more links to all the political stars on that page. And the entire Walk of Stars package is available over here; Be aware, it's addictive clicking. But first:

We're also including, at no extra charge this morning, four videos about three of those Hollywood stars -- Ronald Reagan, the 40th president, telling jokes, mainly on himself (see above); Arnold Schwarzenegger, the current California governor, doing some impromptu -- and pointed -- joke-telling at one public appearance; Don Rickles' classic roast of then-Gov. Reagan (Viewer Warning: Have a tissue handy for enduring laughter); and a trailer from the 1938 Shirley Temple movie "Little Miss Broadway."

The Politicians
Given the prominent roles they play in American public life, it’s somewhat surprising the relatively limited crossover between people acting for entertainment and people acting in politics....

(UPDATE: Tuesday 11 a.m.: They both did what we said they would.)

Seventy-one-year-old Jerry Brown, who served as California's Democratic governor for two terms last century, is expected to announce his formal candidacy online Tuesday to re-seek his old job.

He has no significant opposition for his party's nomination in the June primary, which he can seek because term limits were not invented when he last held the office. Although such limits will force Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger out next January.

Meanwhile, across the country another Democrat, former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr., now of Wall Street, has reportedly decided against a Democratic primary challenge of Kirsten Gillibrand. Ford, you no doubt recall, held his father's Memphis congressional seat for five terms before losing a Senate race to Bob Corker.

Despite a lackluster performance so far, Gillibrand has the backing of the Obama White House, where former Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel is the chief of staff after giving up his Chicago seat once held by another Democrat, Rod Blagojevich, who went on to become Illinois governor with the backing of Barack Obama.

Gillibrand is another former Democratic representative. She was named to fill Hillary Clinton's vacant Senate seat last year when the former Democratic first lady, who lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Obama, went to work as his secretary of State.

Obama is another former Democratic senator whose Illinois seat was filled by Democrat Roland Burris, who....

The last time the Obamas held a formal dinner at the White House, a couple of gate crashers kind of spoiled the party. You may remember the Salahis, those wannabe VIPs who talked their way past security to pose for pictures with Washington's most tightly guarded officials.

Sunday night, as the nation's governors gathered for a black-tie dinner ahead of Monday's annual meeting, there were no security breaches, as far as we know. But there were plenty of protocol dilemmas.

New York's Gov. David Paterson posed one sticky problem. The White House, led by Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, made it known last year that it was hoping the unpopular Paterson would not seek for reelection. But Paterson pushed back, announcing his reelection bid to tepid reviews, and Sunday he showed up for dinner. Where to put him? Why at Emanuel's table, of course. 

Then there's Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Running (for his life) against 'tea party' favorite Marco Rubio in the GOP primary for a Senate seat, Crist is the Republican, and virtually the only one, who a year ago embraced President Obama and his $787-billion economic stimulus plan. Rubio has gotten a lot of traction out of the photo of Crist embracing Obama, so Sunday night the White House put the governor far from the president. As the pool report put it, Crist was "well beyond hugging range."

The question for South Carolina's Mark Sanford wasn't so much where to sit as who to bring. After acknowledging he'd sneaked off to Buenos Aires to be with his Argentine mistress last summer while he was supposed to be hiking on the Appalachian Trail, the governor watched as his marriage and credibility fell apart. The photo of the governor arriving at an earlier White House dinner with First Lady Jenny Sanford was a staple of the crushing coverage. On Sunday, he brought his son Landon.

In one strategic piece of seating protocol, the White House put California's Arnold Schwarzenegger, who presides over a cash-strapped state, at a table with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The better to ask for money?

Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty, considered one of the serious prospects for the Republicans' 2012 presidential challenge, was seated next to First Lady Michelle Obama. An attempt to charm him out of mud-slinging campaign attacks? A confab over combating childhood obesity? Hard to know, but the menu featured French onion soup, rib eye roast, shrimp scampi, roasted potatoes, carrots and mushrooms, a seven-layer salad and baked Alaska.

Speaking of Alaska, it's too bad that state's former governor, Sarah Palin, resigned from office before the dinner. Given her star power among Republicans, she might have been seated with the president.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: President Obama raises a toast as Gov. Tim Pawlenty and First Lady Michelle Obama look on. Credit: Associated Press

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ABC's "This Week" with Terry Moran: Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) and Ed Rendell (D-Pa.) and a round-table with George Will, Donna Brazile, Matthew Dowd and Arianna Huffington.

CBS' "Face the Nation" with Bob Schieffer: Ex-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.

CNN's "GPS" with Fareed Zakaria: Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

CNN's "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley: Govs. Jim Douglas (R-Vt.) and Deval Patrick (D-Mass.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), ex-Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey and former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.).

"Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Govs. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.) and Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.) and Steve Grove of News and Politics at YouTube.

NBC's "Meet the Press" with David Gregory: Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.), Reps. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Peggy Noonan.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Army Gen. David H. Petraeus. Credit: Army Times

The Tea Party anti-big government, anti-tax, anti-some-other-stuff folks are sinking their ideological roots into the Golden State rather quickly -- and deeply.

Hmm, and there's a midterm election for every House seat, a third of the Senate and dozens of governors' chairs this coming November.

A new Field Poll out this afternoon finds that 28% of the state's voters identify with that protest movement while nearly two-thirds already know about them. California support for these protesters is concentrated among Republicans and conservatives, whose energy, money, online muscle and motivation played significant roles in some recent elections, fed, according to other polls, by growing concerns about federal spending and record deficits.

The Ticket described some internal Tea Party convention turmoil here this morning.

Meanwhile, the same new Field Poll asked about the long-simmering controversy over Barack Obama's birth and whether he is a real American-born citizen and, therefore, constitutionally allowed to be president.

Courts have tossed the challenges but that hasn't stopped the arguments, as you'll no doubt soon see in the Comments below.

Obama's mother was an American, if you count Kansas as America. Which legally should end the issue wherever the birth took place, Kenya or not.

However, Hawaii following state privacy guidelines has released only copies of a Certificate of Live Birth, not the real thing.

And Obama has not waived his privacy rights, allowing the actual certificate to be released.So why hasn't he, the so-called "birthers" ask.

And suspicions remain that although the president's announced birth year is 1961, maybe who knows it could be he was born there before Hawaii became a state in 1959. On the other hand, John McCain was born on a U.S. naval base in the Panama Canal Zone and it never was a state. But both his parents were Americans and Obama's father was a Kenyan. And on and on.

So, the Field Poll inquired and found that while two-thirds of Californians (67%) are satisfied that Obama was U.S.-born, fully one-third of the nation's most populous state are not. In fact, 11% are certain that he's a Constitution-violating foreigner and 22% are not sure.

A spokesman for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who as an Austrian native is ineligible to be president, said he would have no comment. Now, about the nationality of Flat Stanley.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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What can politics fans discern from this photo?

1) California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a father who plays along with the running Flat Stanley gimmick handed down among generations of young people, even though the term-limited, unpaid officeholder will never need another vote.

2) This photo was taken late in the day.

3) The terminator is still reading weightlifting magazines.

4) "The Last Action Hero" now wears eyeglasses in private.

5) He writes in bold letters with a broad-tipped Sharpie pen that most politicians carry for autographs (See Sarah Palin's purse).

6) He gets his gubernatorial to-do list in large-type now.

7) He got most everything checked off that list the day this photo was taken and captioned: "One of my many gubernatorial duties, meeting with Flat Stanley."

This particular Flat Stanley, btw, was produced by Demi David, a five-year-old in Tulsa, who can now be officially found on the Internet. Friends will reproduce this photo for laughs at a bridal shower someday.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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California's unpaid celebrity governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, gave his last State of the State address today. He's fine with term limits and will be around for one more year.

Judging by past comments from The Ticket's far-flung posse of readers, many elsewhere resent the state.

It's beyond us why anyone would resent a place that resides on countless fault zones, names everything for dead Spanish saints, thinks mayo goes on hot dogs and can't get by on 10% sales taxes.

True, California is the nation's most populous state. Its weather is usually swell (real parka-time recently though, as Southern California nighttime temps crashed into the 40s). It has an abiding affection for snow (properly-placed by giant guns, the stuff is great for skiing an hour or so from downtown).

Its challenges are many (the state has the same problems as other states, writ large to be sure, but often presaging predicaments elsewhere). Its politics (chronic Democrat). Its fires (they're everywhere, according to TV, but the place never seems to die). Its alleged glamor (Hey, do you have silly stars in your sidewalks?).

Californians can read the governor's entire transcript below (Mild applause). Others can read our CliffsNotes version to see what's coming to their local theaters soon. (Wild ovation)

As usual the entertaining raconteur, the Republican governor opens with almost as many....

As the holidays unfold, The Ticket's thoughts turn to some time off. So we're re-publishing some of our favorite or most-read items from 2009. This item originally appeared on Aug. 26.

Ted Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator who died of brain cancer last night at 77, took up the political mantle when the bullets of assassins felled his brothers, President Kennedy and New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

 But he also became an unlikely patriarch for all the children of the famous Kennedy clan. And their spouses.

And sa California's Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, husband of Kennedy niece and California First Lady Maria Shriver,  issued a statement saying that that he and Maria were "immensely saddened by the passing of Uncle Teddy."

 "He was known to the world as the Lion of the Senate, a champion of social justice, and a political icon," said Schwarzenegger, a well-known Republican in a famously Democratic family. "Most importantly, he was the rock of our family: a loving husband, father, brother and uncle. He was a man of great faith and character."

After flirting with presidential ambition and battling his own private demons and the aftermath of the  Chappaquiddick incident, Kennedy turned himself into a powerhouse of Senate effectiveness. Partnering with key Republicans, he helped enact the Americans With Disabilities Act, increased the minimum wage, and enacted COBRA health insurance for the unemployed and Title IX parity for women in school sports. (An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified the provision of federal law dealing with parity for women in sports as Title IV.)

 “I have personally benefited and grown from his experience and advice, and I know countless others have as well," the governor said. “Teddy taught us all that public service isn't a hobby or even an occupation, but a way of life and his legacy will live on."

 -- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Kennedy at the dedication of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center in Waltham, Mass., in October 1970. Credit: Associated Press

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California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi was sworn in as a member of Congress today. He will represent the Bay Area's 10th Congressional District. He's a Democrat, but his rise creates an opportunity for Republicans, as we'll explain in just a bit.

Garamendi won the seat with almost 53% of the vote in a special election on Tuesday, soundly defeating Republican businessman David Harmer.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swore Garamendi in. She said his win, along with the election Tuesday of New York Democrat Bill Owens, meant one important thing: Two more Democratic votes when the healthcare overhaul hits the floor of the House on Saturday.

Mark Silva has more on what Pelosi said over at our snappy new blog about the goings-on in Washington, D.C. Now.

Garamendi's new gig means the lieutenant governor's seat is now empty.

And that means, as our colleague in Sacramento, Shane Goldmacher, explains today, that Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now has the power to name a replacement. Except that Schwarzenegger's choice will have to be confirmed by the Democratic-dominated Legislature -- which could set up a political showdown.

-- Kate Linthicum

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Photo: John Garamendi and his wife, Patti, celebrate his election victory Tuesday night. Credit: Associated Press.

Gavin Newsom, the controversial mayor of San Francisco, abandoned his bid for the Democratic nomination to run for California governor next year, succeeding term-limited Republican incumbent Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Newsom said he made the decision with "great regret" because he "found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to -- and should be -- done." (See his full statement below.)

The harsh political reality, however, is the real reason is his campaign was getting no statewide traction or much money, despite recent campaign help[ from ex-President Clinton. Ex-governor, ex-mayor, current Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown remains the invisible 800-pound donkey in the political room. Brown hasn't even....

Garry South, the ever-voluble, ever-quotable political strategist, has made a name for himself with his provocative, often outrageous statements on behalf of Democratic candidates and causes.

More than a few of his candidates have cringed -- even if they were privately pleased -- as South scorched the Republican opposition. (Most of his inflammatory, over-the-top remarks are, in truth, about as random and spontaneous as a precision-guided missile.)

Nonetheless, it was something of a surprise at a California Chamber of Commerce forum today in Napa, Calif., when South had this to say about GOP gubernatorial hopeful Tom Campbell:

"He's a great guy. He would make a great governor. You can quote me on that."

OK.

True, South probably said those nice things because he's convinced that Campbell, the pauper in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial race against big-spending Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has no chance of winning.

That, of course, remains to be seen.

Some have drawn a comparison between Campbell's circumstances and another vastly outspent dark horse candidate who improbably managed to beat a pair of free-spending millionaires: Gray Davis in 1998.

His campaign, not incidentally, was run by none other than -- oh, look! -- Garry South.

The difference, South pointed out, was Davis' support within the Democratic base, something the heretical Tom Campbell -- he of the 32-cent-a-gallon gas tax hike proposal -- seems to lack among the state's tax-hating Republican base.

What makes South's comment especially noteworthy, however, is his current role, managing the gubernatorial primary campaign of Democratic San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

If Campbell is such a great fellow with all that promise, why isn't South supporting his bid for governor?

"I'm a Democrat," South replied. "You need to ask?"

Jamie Fisfis, a Campbell strategist who joined South on the panel along with consultants for Poizner, Whitman and Democratic Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, had this to say afterward: "Sounds like Garry's trying to destroy another Republican candidate he doesn't want to face in the general election."

South, it might be recalled, helped engineer the defeat of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan in the Republican primary of the 2002 governor's race, helping ease the way for Davis' reelection. [Updated 9:40 a.m. Oct. 30: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Riordan ran in the 2006 primary.]

-- Mark Z. Barabak

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Photo: South's office.