WASHINGTON — Everywhere Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger goes these days there's a crowd. But they're not looking for his autograph.
As he darted across the country in the last five days, raising campaign money and dropping in at the fitness exhibition he co-founded, Schwarzenegger was shadowed by demonstrators protesting his plans for overhauling state government.
Loud and nervy, the protesters crashed his major events in three cities, playing cat-and-mouse with him as he tried to elude them and keep his agenda at center stage. Demonstrators are infiltrating public appearances.
And even when they're kept outside, they're getting heard. He has been forced to alter his routine and to acknowledge the protesters in his stump speeches.
The core group consists of nurses upset about Schwarzenegger's attempt to scale back hospital staffing requirements and firefighters worried about pensions. They're getting support from out-of-state colleagues, who turned up at Schwarzenegger's East Coast events this week and heckled him fiercely.
"Screw Arnold!" protesters shouted from the street as the governor dined with donors Monday at the tony 21 Club in Manhattan.
Schwarzenegger had ducked into the establishment through a service entrance to escape about 100 demonstrators; New York Gov. George Pataki had gone in the front door. But there was no sanctuary for Schwarzenegger inside.
A Santa Clara firefighter had flown in for the appearance at his own expense, put on a coat and tie and reserved a table for dinner. He walked up to the reception on another floor and confronted Schwarzenegger about his plans to cut costs by converting the state retirement system to a 401(k)-style plan.
"He said, 'I'm a friend of the firefighters and I would never take anything away from them,' " recounted Jeremy Ray, secretary of Santa Clara Firefighters Local 1171. "I said, 'No, you're not a friend to us, sir. And what you're doing is wrong.' "
After discussing the issue with Ray for a couple of minutes, the governor turned and walked off, Ray said.
Schwarzenegger is unused to such displays. For most of his career he has been a beloved bodybuilding champion and movie star identified with the heroic characters he has played on screen.
But with his attempt to revamp state government, and with his support for what critics say is a predominantly pro-business agenda, Schwarzenegger is making enemies.
