I am playing catch-up this weekend on stories about two things – a state program and some political shenanigans – that Governor Schwarzenegger needs to wake up and put a halt to.

The first is the restoration of $6 Million in the state budget for the Institute for Labor and Employment at the University of California. The supposed purpose of the organization is to support efforts to educate the public about the history of unions and such. But it has in reality become a publicly funded shrill for big labor, producing biased studies and organizing workers against businesses.

But the big problem with this “Institute” is not that, but its excursions into partisan politics. In 2003, this organization organized efforts against the recall of Gray Davis, including a seminar at a hotel here in Sacramento. Across the street from the hotel, recall supporters gathered to protest this misuse of public funds. Those supporters were then violently assaulted by some of the ILE members (see picture and video at the link).

This is one program that needs to be totally defunded. Tax dollars should not support partisan anti-business activists. Along with the illegal alien healthcare, this should have been a deal-breaker for the Republicans and governor during budget negotiations.

The next thing the Governor needs to use his power to put an end to is the defunding of the State Board of Education in retaliation for their adoption of a program requiring non-English speaking students to learn the language in a classroom setting with regular students, instead of segregated by themselves.

Arnold should have seen that as a Declaration of War by the legislature. He should have immediately moved to cut funds for the legislature until the funding for the board was restored. Instead, the legislature is holding the board hostage with no consequences, while the children of California suffer.

In short, Arnold has been running scared this year after last-year’s special election. He has basically not doing anything overly controversial, trying to get along with everyone.

Of course, I support his re-election, but that doesn’t mean I’m particularly happy with him. Arnold needs to wake up and face his liberal Democratic foes (and yes, they should be his foes) with courage instead of failing to confront them at all.

The Terminator would not be proud.

(Disclosure Note: Russo Marsh & Rogers, who I am an intern for, consulted for the group that orgaized the counter-protest to the Union rally)