A bare-knuckles campaign to kick Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger out of office was abandoned Thursday by the state's powerful prison guards union.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association dropped its recall bid but continued to throw verbal jabs.

"We continue to believe that Governor Schwarzenegger needs to return to what he's good at, making movies," spokesman Lance Corcoran said.

Schwarzenegger's predecessor, Democrat Gray Davis, is the only California governor ever to be recalled, but the threat against the Republican governor sparked shock waves because CCPOA is one of the state's most powerful unions, spending $17 million on political campaigns since 2005.

Money, timing and the state's rocky economy were key issues in CCPOA's decision Thursday to shelve its bid before hitting the streets to gather more than a million signatures.

The union would have had to spend an estimated $2 million to $3 million to force a special election next year targeting a governor who would be termed out a short time later, in January 2011.

"We understand that in these dire fiscal times, to continue to pursue a recall of Governor Schwarzenegger, while in many ways popular, is not efficient," Corcoran said.

"So, at this time, we are going to put our resources into other areas that affect vital safety in California," he said.

Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Julie Soderlund was not surprised.

"We thought all along this talk of recall was unproductive," Soderlund said. "California is facing some significant challenges right now, and the governor is focused on solving them."

CCPOA had to decide by today whether to drop the campaign or resubmit its recall petition to the secretary of state.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen had rejected the union's initial petition last week, saying it was deficient largely because it failed to include a response from Schwarzenegger.

CCPOA had argued that Schwarzenegger's written response to the recall was false and misleading.

Schwarzenegger, in his written statement, had accused the union of using bully tactics in an attempt to extract $1.3 billion in contract concessions.

"This recall petition is special-interest politics at its worst," Schwarzenegger wrote.

"It's not about the people of California," he added. "It's an intimidation tactic by the prison guards union to force … a bigger contract."

CCPOA is locked in a lengthy labor dispute with the state, having gone more than two years without a contract.

The union turned down a 15 percent, three-year pay hike proposal from the state, saying it could not live with work-rule changes, seniority deprivations and other managerial givebacks the administration wanted.

CCPOA has a history of attacking Schwarzenegger, most notably when it drove a billboard around the Capitol with an unflattering picture of the governor in a thong.

"In the history of bad governors, this is the worst governor we've ever had," Corcoran said last month.

Soderlund said the governor will not be pushed into a bad labor contract.

"The governor is committed to the process," she said. "But he's not going to give them the sweetheart deal they want."

A special election next year could have cost Californians tens of millions – and the union is realistic about public attitudes toward such an expense, Corcoran said.

By a margin of more than 2-to-1, Californians said they would vote against recalling Schwarzenegger if it reached the ballot, according to a Field Poll last month.

An overwhelming majority of all voters said a recall would be a bad thing for California – 92 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of nonpartisan voters.

Californians also turned thumbs down on Schwarzenegger's job performance, however, with only 38 percent of those surveyed giving him a favorable review.

CCPOA's recall bid became a lightning rod for widespread dissatisfaction, according to Corcoran.

"We've had hundreds, if not thousands of calls from California citizens who were willing to go out and help us get signed petitions to recall this governor," he said.

Ironically, Schwarzenegger benefited from the state's only successful gubernatorial recall.

The former Hollywood actor and Mr. Universe was elected to the state's top post in the same 2003 election that ousted Davis.

Davis' approval rating of 24 percent the year he left office was 14 percentage points lower than Schwarzenegger's is now, according to the Field Poll.

Call Jim Sanders, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5538.