On August 23, Arnold Schwarzenegger finally broke his silence about the Dirty Tricks initiative that Republican operatives in California are hoping steals 20 electoral votes for the Republican presidential nominee. But did he take a strong post-partisan stand on this partisan power grab? Umm, no.

I haven't looked at the language and I'm not saying I'm against it or I'm for it or anything.

So, my colleagues at the Courage Campaign decided to team up with the calitics kids and launch an all out assault on Arnold to demand that he lead on this issue and oppose it forcefully. First, we figured, if Arnold hasn't read the initiative, maybe it's cuz he doesn't have a copy. So thanks to 2,148 of our closest friends, we delivered 2,148 copies of the initiative to his office in Sacramento. Read all about it here.

So now, surely he's read the initiative and will come out strongly against it, right? Umm, no.

Yesterday:

I have not made up my mind yet in one way or the other, because I haven't seen the details on it.

But we are getting somewhere, because he came the closest he ever has to outright opposing it...by calling the GOP backers of the measure "losers."

"I feel like, if you're all of a sudden in the middle of the game start changing the rules, it's kind of odd," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-California. "It almost feels like a loser's mentality, saying, 'I cannot win with those rules. So let me change the rules.'"

So why won't he just take 3 minutes and read the initiative and lead on the issue by coming out against it? Could have something to do with the fact that he's attending the California Republican Party Fall Convention this weekend where GOP activists are pressuring the party to endorse the initiative. So we need to up the pressure on him to oppose it before it gains any momentum. We need Arnold to kill this thing before it can even get on the ballot.

So before the convention starts tomorrow, there are a couple more things we're asking folks to do.

First, watch this:  

And then go here and tell Arnold to read AND lead:

Governor, if you really want to demonstrate that you are "post-partisan," now is the time to read and lead. By coming out against this initiative now -- and asking reasonable Republicans to do the same -- you can kill this radical right-wing coup in its cradle before June 3rd.

And if you can spare $20 to save 20 electoral votes, head on over to Act Blue's page of the week.