Reading between the lines

Detail from a 'toon in which Gov. Schwarzenegger
broke free of the mess he made … only to step in more …

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a virus that won't go away, can't be shaken.

Now he has a memoir, Total Recall (hey, great title!), in which he tries to reclaim and refurbish an image tainted lately and most egregiously by having fathered a child by a woman employed in his household staff.

Schwarzenegger laid low, so to speak, preferring not to talk about his indiscretion, he said, in order to protect is family.

Until he could profit by it, apparently.

Harnessing a publicity juggernaut breathtaking in its chutzpah, Schwarzenegger ground down the eager media. Even National Public Radio swooned, letting him prattle on about his oiled biceps and signature Mr. Universe pose.

I give the man his ambition and drive; they teach a lesson in tenacity. I guess.

But the dude has screwed with people's lives, often literally, for his own advancement. And now he wants more.

But what more? He's already back in movies, chewing scenery with all the other aging action hero actors. And what's better than that? It's like watching the senior pro golf tour. What more could he want?

That's scary. And the worst of it is, we'll give it to him. We already gave him the governor's office, based solely on the idea that he's famous. Governor Kardashian.

He'll be back. Oh, Lord …