(San Francisco Chronicle) Recalling Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2004 State of the State pledge to not just rejigger state government by moving a few boxes around, but to "blow them up," I asked Schwarzenegger campaign guru Mike Murphy at a lunch earlier this month what boxes the governator has blown up in office.

Murphy's answer: "Oh, I don't think we ... That's like a good policy question, because I'm not the policy expert."

Columnist's translation: The boxes don't even have a dent on them.

(Chico Enterprise-Record) The choices in the October 2003 recall election of Gov. Gray Davis were uninspiring. Our headline on the editorial page said it all: "Hold your nose and vote for Schwarzenegger."

At least the charismatic actor provided some hope that politics as usual would change in Sacramento. He wasn't a politician. He vowed to eliminate government debt, attract jobs and reform a state government in need of drastic changes. He talked famously about "blowing up boxes" and assured everyone he had the strength and courage to get it done.

As Schwarzenegger hits the midway point of his term and considers whether to run again next year, this much is obvious - he has become just another politician. He seems more interested in raising money than keeping his promises, and more interested in hearing himself talk than worrying about the implications of his words.

Schwarzenegger has been traveling out of the state to hold fundraisers for star-struck wealthy people, who are willing to pay big bucks for a chance to talk with the former bodybuilder.