Schwarzenegger Suggests He's Open To Serving In Obama Cabinet

July 13, 2008 — -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is hinting that he might be open to a position in presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's cabinet.

"I'm always ready to help in any way I can the United States," Schwarzenegger told George Stephanopoulos exclusively on "This Week" in an interview that aired Sunday.

"Because as you know," Schwarzenegger added, "I've committed myself to be a public servant, because this country has given me everything. And so this is my time now."

While he described the scenario as "hypothetical," Schwarzenegger, who has endorsed presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, admitted he would "take [Obama's] call now and I'd take his call when he's president, anytime."

Obama has previously mentioned Schwarzenegger in discussions about his possible cabinet, saying last December, "There are things I don't agree with him on, but he's taken leadership on a very difficult issue [climate change] and we haven't seen that kind of leadership in Washington."

Schwarzenegger said he is not actively seeking out a cabinet position.

"I don't think about taking on a national role, because there's so many challenges that we have here in California," he explained. "I'm through with the acting and all the things that I have done, and my bodybuilding, even though I love all those things still. But for me now, it's important to give something back and to do my work without getting paid. But just to give something back."

Earlier in the week, Newsweek suggested Schwarzenegger might serve as an energy and environmental adviser to Obama.

"He [Obama] admires California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's [climate-change czar] approach to the environment," the Newsweek article read, "and he's close to the governor's wife, Maria Shriver, and her Kennedy kin."

In response, Schwarzenegger seemed to suggest that he could forsee serving in a Democratic administration.

"No matter who is president, I don't see this as a political thing," he said. "We always have to help, no matter what the administration is."