Idaho Republicans are attempting to lure Arnold Schwarzenegger to their convention in Lewiston in late June.

Schwarzenegger starred in ''The Terminator'' and ''Conan The Barbarian.''

''We see that as a big draw,'' sa

id Mike Reynoldson, the state party's executive director. ''It just might help press coverage as well.''

Former congressman and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp of New York and U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., have told state GOP officials they have other commitments during the convention, according to Carolyn Durant of Lewiston.

But she said Republicans still are worki

ng on getting U.S. Senate Republican leader Robert Dole of Kansas, U.S. House Republican leader Newt Gingrich of Georgia and/or former Defense Secretary Richard Cheney to the convention.

Beavis and Butthead

MTV's infamous intellectuals were mentioned in two political newsletters that crossed this reporter's desk over the holidays.

Steve Forrester's Northwest Letter calls U.S. Sens. Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne ''Beavis and Butthead'' for spouting ''the same conservative Republican lines.''

Laird Maxwell's Idaho Politics Today includes ''a funny fax'' that calls Beavis and Butt head the ''GOP Dream Ticket in 1996''' and ''Ghosts of Christmas Future.''

Maxwell said he doesn't

know who faxed him the cartoon.

This reporter doubts it was a Republican.

Female superintendents?

Idaho House Education Chairman Ron Black of Twin Falls took an indirect jab at eight school district superintendents, including Potlatch Superintendent Don Armstrong, before they testified before the Legislative Select Committee on Education Wednesday in Boise.

''You are all males,'' he said. ''I notice that glaringly here.''

LaRocco's pockets

Idaho First District Congressman Larry

LaRocco's camp says the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation raised $250,000 in contributions last year and already has $145,000 in the bank with no debt for this year's campaign. That puts him ahead of where he was two years ago before the 1992 election.

This reporter was told campaign financial disclosure reports will prove this later this month.

Idaho Republicans believe LaRocco is extremely vulnerable in this year's election.

Winder's foot soldiers

Boise businessman Chuck Winder announced county coordinators for his Republican bid for governor recently.

Susan Elliott of Orofino, Jeff Blackmer of Grangeville and Ralph Terhaar of Greencreek head his campaign

in Clearwater, Idaho and Lewis counties, respectively. Mike Cox and Reece Theobald, both

of Moscow, are leading his Latah County campaign, and Glenda Morlan and Mel Ott, both of Lewiston, are coordinating his Nez Perce County campaign.

Ron's pen

Three weeks ago, this reporter drove to Grangeville to interview former state Sen. Ron

Beitelspacher about his Democratic gubernatorial campaign without a pen.

Beitelspacher gave me a pen on the condition this oversight was mentioned in this column.