CANDIDATES CONTINUE STUMPING FOR VOTES.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Independent gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington pledged Wednesday to restore cuts made to schools, while GOP front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger held an education summit, and Gov. Gray Davis announced that former President Bill Clinton would appear on his behalf.

During a lunchtime speech to 700 student and supporters at California State University, Northridge, Huffington won applause for her vow to ``never, ever raise tuition and fees'' at colleges and universities. She also said she would re-examine Proposition 13 - while still protecting homeowners - and freeze the salaries of prison guards, who were granted substantial pay raises by Davis.

``If you look at Gray Davis and (Lt. Gov.) Cruz Bustamante, they're not bad people; they're products of a rotten system,'' Huffington said. ``My vision will not be clouded by the paybacks that I owe.''

In San Jose, meanwhile, Schwarzenegger held his second policy summit since declaring his candidacy for governor a month ago. He met with two dozen advisers, including his mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who founded the Special Olympics, and East Los Angeles math teacher Jaime Escalante, the subject of the 1988 movie ``Stand and Deliver.''

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who championed education during his eight years as mayor, co-chaired the event.

After the meeting, Schwarzenegger discussed some principles he said would guide his approach to education, including working for local control, ensuring that inner-city schools get the most qualified teachers, giving children equal educational opportunities, eliminating waste and bureaucracy, increasing parental choice and involvement and establishing more and better charter schools. He did not offer specific plans.

Although test scores have improved under Davis, Schwarzenegger said, schools are failing. He insisted, ``I'm absolutely convinced that we can turn this around again.''

Schwarzenegger is the leading Republican candidate to replace Davis if the latter is recalled Oct. 7.

As Schwarzenegger sought to burnish his credentials as a credible candidate well-versed on issues, the education summit followed a pattern he had established of inviting well-known experts to advise him. An Aug. 20 summit focused on the economy and was attended by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and former Secretary of State George Shultz.

Davis aides, meanwhile, said Clinton would join Davis at Sunday services at the landmark First AME Church in South Los Angeles. Clinton's visit comes as polls continue to show Davis coming up short in effort to avoid being kicked out of office Oct. 7, although the pro-recall momentum has slowed.

Clinton, who faced his own political trial during the impeachment and trial proceedings in 1998 and 1999, has been a close adviser to fellow Democrat Davis since the recall campaign began in July.

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Independent candidate for governor Arianna Huffington rouses students at CSUN during an appearance on Wednesday.

Julio Cortez/Daily News