Washington Wrap

Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris, Clothilde Ewing and Smita Kalokhe of The CBS News Political Unit have the latest from the nation's capital.

Under the Federal Communications Commission's equal-time provision, any non-news related appearances by a candidate on a broadcast station – cable stations are not affected – could provoke any of the other 240 or so candidates to ask for equal time.

Because of the rule, chances are TV stations won't be running any Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, old "Saturday Night Live" episodes featuring Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci, or reruns of "Diff'rent Strokes" with Gary Coleman. The FCC has considered programs such as "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood" news programs in the past.

"It's doubtful Arnold's movies will be shown on local broadcast stations between now and the election," Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters told the AP. The NAB sent an alert to its California – and bordering states - member stations reminding them about the equal time rule.

There has been a precedent set with the equal-time provision. In 2000, some CBS affiliates in east Texas pre-empted "Walker, Texas Ranger" when cast member Noble Willingham ran for Congress.

California stations refrained from airing reruns of "Death Valley Days" in the 1960s when host Ronald Reagan was running for governor.

And in 1972, two presidential candidates demanded – and received – equal time when NBC aired the film "Where Were You When The Lights Went Out?" featuring Pat Paulsen in a brief 30-second role. Even though Paulsen was running a joke campaign, he qualified for the New Hampshire primary. The FCC ruled that he was a legitimate candidate and forced NBC to give candidates Paul McCloskey and John Ashbrook 30 seconds in the same time slot.

In other California recall news, it may be time to place your bets on who's going to be the next governor.

The Washington Post reports that betting website BetWWTS.com has established odds for 13 of the candidates. Schwarzenegger is the favorite with 5:9 odds. Lt. Gov Cruz Bustamante is next at 7:5, Bill Simon at 5:1, and Peter Ueberroth at 8:1. Larry Flynt comes in at 30:1, while Gary Coleman is at 50:1.

As for Gray Davis, they place the odds at 4:15 that he will be recalled, meaning bettors would receive $4 for every $15 bet.

A Wise Surprise: Gov. Bob Wise, D-W.Va., has decided against running for re-election. Wise announced his decision on Tuesday, saying that his extramarital affair, which he admitted to in May, was the "precipitating event" that led to his decision not to run – not because it hurt his chances of winning, but because it revealed the troubled relationship he had with his wife and two children, the Charleston Gazette reports.

Although Wise admitted to having the affair, he shied away from naming the woman. But the local media stepped in and identified her as state development office employee Angela Mascia. The two traded a series of suggestive e-mails, which were later released through the state's open records act, and Mascia's then-husband confirmed the rumors.

Wise's announcement snapped a string of more than 20 years of unbroken political success. Wise started his career as a state senator in 1980 and moved to the U.S. House two years later after beating Republican Rep. Mick Staton. He spent the next 18 years in the House before winning the governor's mansion.

Wise did not speculate on what he will do after he leaves his post, except that he will probably move back to Washington, where his wife and daughter have already returned. Although he says it's not likely, Washington would be a convenient place to set up house, should he decide to run again for the House, or even the U.S Senate. Wise and his son are staying in Charleston until his term ends in January 2005, and he plans to fly back and forth to Washington every weekend.

This Isn't The Main Line, Senator: Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has violated Philadelphia's highly cherished – although some might argue highly affected – cheese-steak ordering system at world-famous Pat's Steaks.

An eagle-eyed Washington Post correspondent noticed on Monday that Kerry – he of the Swiss boarding schools, many mansions and Hermes ties – had the gumption to order his sandwich with Swiss cheese instead of the standard Cheez Whiz. [While picky eaters can get theirs with American or provolone cheese, asking for Swiss is like asking for a side order of human flesh.]

The Post's Dana Milbank - who, we now assume wears those bow ties so he can devour cheese steaks at lunch every day without fear of dripping on his tie - found the Philadelphia Inquirer's food critic, Craig LeBan, and asked about the political ramifications of Kerry's gastronomical faux pas.

"It will doom his candidacy in Philadelphia," LeBan said.

The Post also critiqued Kerry's eating style as "dainty." Worse, Kerry asked photographers not to take his photo while he ate - ensuring a flurry of flashbulbs. (In Kerry's defense, a photographer snapped the picture that accompanied the story showing the senator taking a not-so-dainty, Phili-pleasing bite.)

Still, LeBan didn't see anything that could sway Philadelphia's electorate to Kerry's column. "Obviously, Kerry's a high-class candidate, and he misread the etiquette … throwing fistfuls of steak into the gaping maw, fingers dripping – that's the proper way," he said.

Robert Gibbs, Kerry's press secretary, wins the "stay on message" award for his response to the scandal. "I suspect Kerry was thinking about provolone cheese but became distracted by thinking of the more than 3 million jobs that have slipped through the holes of George W. Bush's economic plan," Gibbs said. (Holes … Swiss cheese … Get it?)

But in not so many words, Frank Olivieri, the owner of Pat's, blamed Kerry's error on his campaign staff. Al Gore and Bill Clinton, he said, knew ahead of time to order their cheese steaks with Cheez Whiz.

Quote of the Day: "I'm glad that Gary Coleman lives in California. A guy like me that believes in limited government probably would have a tough time against a fellow like that because he probably symbolizes smaller government." -Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., joking about the 4-foot-8 California gubernatorial candidate. (AP)