Arnie faces smear campaign

Starring in Hollywood blockbusters, he came up against plenty of bad guys who tried to bring him down.

But Arnold Schwarzenegger has been warned he will face 'real bullets' in his campaign to become California's governor.

Opponents desperate to undermine his soaring popularity are preparing a smear campaign, political insiders have warned.

Polls show Schwarzenegger is the early front runner, following his surprise announcement last week that he will enter the race as a Republican.

Almost 80 per cent of Californian voters think he would do a better job as governor than someone with political experience.

But opponents in the Democratic Party are digging for dirt on the 56-year-old.

Spokesman Bob Mulholland said: 'Schwarzenegger is going to find out that, unlike a Hollywood movie set, the bullets coming at him in this campaign are going to be real bullets and he's going to have to respond to them.

'This is not a campaign where Schwarzenegger, when things get a little tough, is going to be able to say "Cut".' Democratic incumbent Gray Davis has already handed out copies of a magazine story which alleged the star groped women, had affairs and abused steroids.

The father-of-four former Mr Universe strenuously denied all the claims.

A photo showing the Austrian-born star's father as a member of the Nazi Party during World War II has also been made public.

More than 200 candidates are vying for the governorship, including pornographer Larry Flynt and pint-sized Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman.