CALIFORNIA - A CONSERVATIVE wing of the California Republican Party postponed a plan to vote on Saturday on whether to endorse a recall campaign against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Earlier, former Governor Pete Wilson urged his fellow Republicans not to make light of the recall threat launched by the state prison guards union seriously, even if it isn't likely to succeed.

'I hope that I don't have to tell you what an ill-considered idea that is. We did it once; we did not do it lightly,' he said, referring to the 2003 recall of former Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat, an election that sent Mr Schwarzenegger to Sacramento.

'It is something that should not be taken lightly. It is an extreme measure.'

A conservative wing of the state party had planned to vote later on Saturday on whether to endorse the recall campaign but instead decided to further investigate the effort first.

The politically moderate governor's unpopularity with the most conservative Republicans grew this summer after he proposed a temporary increase in the state's sales tax to help close what was then a US$15.2b (S$21.7b) deficit.

Mr Wilson was critical of the tax plan, as were Republicans in the Legislature who successfully fought the effort.

That proposal particularly rankled rank-and-file Republicans, California Republican Assembly president Mike Spence said earlier this week.

'We're talking about a core, central policy that has united the party - taxes - and the governor went back on his word,' Mr Spence said.

Frustration with Mr Schwarzenegger within the party's base was widespread, he said.

That's partly because he has failed to implement many of the government reforms he promised when taking office, Mr Spence said, pointing to the budget deficits that continue to plague the state.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association filed formal notice this month of its effort to recall Mr Schwarzenegger.

The union criticised Mr Schwarzenegger for what it called 'catastrophic leadership failings and inept management' since he took office.

'I think the governor has done everything possible to deserve a recall,' said Mr Tom Hudson, the California Republican Assembly's national committee man.

'He's been as bad or worse than Davis.' But the group's vice president, Karen England, said the group needs to figure out how serious the union is about a campaign, how much money it has to fund a recall and who could run as a replacement candidate in such an election.

Schwarzenegger spokesman Julie Soderlund said the governor does not believe the conservative group will side with the union in the end.

'It's the prison guard union trying to intimidate Governor Schwarzenegger into the same sweetheart contract Governor Davis gave them,' she said.

In another slap to the governor, the state party's board of directors made its frustration with him official on Saturday by adopting a resolution praising legislative Republicans for 'refusing to raise taxes and standing against the growth of government.'

'We encourage Governor Schwarzenegger to stand with our Republican legislators in the future,' the motion said.

One of the motivations for recalling Mr Davis was his deal giving prison guards a 37 per cent pay raise after he had accepted US$2.6m in campaign donations from the union.

Mr Schwarzenegger has not taken money from the prison guards and has called its recall drive a political ploy designed to pressure him to give into the union's demands during contract negotiations. The guards union has been without a contract for two years.

After his address, Mr Wilson told reporters that there will always be disagreements with a governor, but that a recall should be reserved for 'serious dereliction of duty.'

'It's something that you do on a really extreme provocation,' he said. -- AP

AP-TK-28-09-08 1737GMT