HE PROMISED he’d be back. But much like his Terminator 2 liquid metal nemesis the T-1000, the question is: in what form.

Earlier this month, an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan site, GlobalArnold.com posted an item claiming that Schwarzenegger’s agent had already begun film bookings for the end of the governor’s term in 2006. Thomas Elias quoted California Attorney General Bill Lockyer as he walked out of a TV studio saying, “He’s not going to run again. His agent is already making bookings for 2006 and beyond.” Veteran Democratic consultant Gary South added, “I believe that after three years in office, he’ll declare victory and go back to Hollywood.”