Governor Schwarzenegger’s news conference on the likely Assembly passage of a large prison reform proposal today prompted only one question from reporters about the issue… and more focus on the political back-and-forth taking much of the governor’s time these days.

Reporters asked questions about Schwarzenegger’s reform-minded education initiative, as well as his reaction to days of newspaper reports quoting anonymous sources about dissension among the governor’s staff– especially as his political touch has seemed less golden in recent weeks.

And for the man who in the past has declared even the most obvious setbacks to be “fantastic”… today’s reaction seemed like more of the same.

Comparing politics to Hollywood, Schwarzenegger said both are full of “great drama.” But the smile on his face seemed a little out of place with the tone of what he said next.

“You know, you like to take someone down and build them up again, and talk about the initiatives and how disastrous this is, and great this is. It’s great drama. So have a good time with the all the great drama. I don’t care. I don’t mind it.”