SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn
in yesterday 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.

The 56-year-old Austrian immigrant took the oath of office on
the steps of the Capitol before an audience of 7,500 dignitaries
and supporters.

Schwarzenegger’s wife, Maria Shriver, held the Bible while
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George administered
the oath.

“I am humbled, I am honored and I am moved beyond words to
be your governor,” Schwarzenegger said after being sworn
in.

In a nod to his wife’s famous uncle, Schwarzenegger added:
“In the words of President Kennedy, ‘I am an idealist
without illusions.’”

Although 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.

The ceremony, while steeped in tradition, was void of the
pageantry often associated with California inaugurations.

Bitterness 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.

Nearly 740 journalists were expected to cover the ceremony.
Fifteen dignitaries from 13 countries were in attendance, including
representatives from Canada, Egypt, Austria and Mexico.

The new governor was surrounded by his four children, who had
remained out of public view during much of the recall campaign.

Later 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.

He 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.

An immigrant who arrived in the United States at the 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.

Schwarzenegger 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
driver’s licenses.

Democrats have said that 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.

The recall movement was launched in February by grass-roots
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.

Schwarzenegger quickly became a contender after announcing his
candidacy Aug. 6 on “The Tonight Show With Jay
Leno.”

The “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.

In 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.

Schwarzenegger 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.

Stars 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.

In contrast to yesterday’s relatively sober proceedings,
the 1999 inaugural for Davis included a $3.7 million event
featuring Lionel Richie, Kenny G and a reading by “Happy
Days” actor Henry Winkler. And in 1995, Natalie Cole sang at
then-Gov. Pete Wilson’s inaugural gala.

This time, the inauguration promises to be well-documented.