Warren Beatty Slams Gov. Arnold

Warren Beatty has launched a spring offensive against Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In the latest salvo, the liberal actor and director told University of California graduates that his fellow thespian should raise taxes and drop plans for a special election.

"Cancel it, governor. Call it off," said Beatty as he gave the commencement address Saturday to graduates of UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy.

Beatty, who has been involved in politics for years, played a senator in the 1998 movie "Bulworth" and entertained the idea of running for the presidency six years ago.

He told graduates he doesn't want to be governor, although he thinks he could do a better job than Schwarzenegger and believes there are other Democrats who would be better still.

After the speech, Beatty said he isn't ruling out ever running. "I don't think anyone should ever rule public service out," he said. "It's a way of saying, 'Take me out of the mix and don't listen to me any more.'"

In his speech, Beatty said he has "a real soft spot for actors even if they are right wing," and has always liked Schwarzenegger. But the former action star is a politician who should "rise to the higher level of that calling," and not denigrate fellow politicians by mocking them as "girlie men," as the governor did of Democratic lawmakers last summer, Beatty said.

"Can't we accept that devotion to the building of the body politic is more complex and a little more sensitive than devotion to body building?" Beatty asked.

The San Jose Mercury News quoted a Schwarzenegger spokeswoman as saying: "I am sure it's not personal. Warren's just mad at Republicans because he's afraid they're cutting off his Social Security."

Beatty is 68 years old.

Beatty, who first challenged the governor at a March awards banquet in Beverly Hills, contends that should raise taxes on the rich. On Saturday, he also argued against the special election that the Republican governor plans to call for November to consider measures aimed at restricting state spending and curbing the influence of public employee unions.

Critics have questioned why Schwarzenegger, 57, is forcing such a high-stakes showdown over issues that appear less than urgent, especially because the state's next regularly scheduled election is little more than a year away.

Beatty said the election is a waste of time and money.

After the speech, Schwarzenegger deputy press secretary Vince Sollitto said of Beatty's criticism: "I'm sure it's nothing personal. Warren's just mad at Republicans because he's afraid they're cutting off his Social Security."

On a personal note, Beatty pointed to his four children, all under 14, sitting in the front row with mom, actress Annette Bening. Beatty jokingly called his children "the four small Eastern European countries that inhabit our house," but said they have given him "more eyes to see life with."

In a parting piece of advice, Beatty told graduates who want to have kids it might be a good idea to do so at an earlier age than he did.