Arnie names transition team

Arnold Schwarzenegger has chosen a mixed team

Arnold Schwarzenegger has named the transition team he hopes will help him tackle California's economic crisis in his new role as state governor.

The Republican has included several Democrats on his team, including San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn.

The team, headed by Republican southern California Representative David Dreier, also includes a rabbi, a talk show host and film producer Ivan Reitman, whose work includes "Twins" and "Kindergarten Cop," which starred Mr Schwarzenegger.

The governor-elect will start his official duties as soon as the results of the recall election on Tuesday are confirmed.

"I want to reach out, I want to be the people's governor," he said.

"I want to have the best and the brightest people come and work in my administration. That process has already begun."

Co-operation

Mr Schwarzenegger said a priority would be to carry out an audit to determine the severity of the state's deficit, which some sources put at $38bn over two years.

The team member charged with the daunting task of seeking out "billions of dollars in waste", as the former actor put it, is Donna Arduin - on loan from the staff of Governor Jeb Bush of Florida.

Mr Schwarzenegger said he hoped there would be a smooth transition period from the cabinet of out-going Governor Gray Davis.

We have to open up the books and let the sun shine in Arnold Schwarzenegger

"I'm absolutely convinced that when the governor says that he wants to have a smooth transition, that we will in fact have a smooth transition," he said.

Mr Davis, for his part, has asked his cabinet members to co-operate with the Schwarzenegger team.

"They may need our help and if they ask, I want you to provide it," he said. "Our service is not complete until we've done everything humanly possible to prepare the next administration for their assignment."

The perhaps humiliating defeat in the historic recall election has not put Mr Davis off taking up an invitation to appear on a television chat show.

The CBS channel said Mr Davis would appear on the Late Show with David Letterman on Friday to present the show's regular Top 10 List.

On Wednesday, Mr Schwarzenegger made a surprise appearance on "Tonight with Jay Leno", Letterman's rival, and the programme on which he announced his candidacy for the governorship.