John Broder's report in tomorrow's New York Times quotes an unnamed consultant who has worked for both Riordan and Schwarzenegger: "There's a very interesting game of chicken going on."

Update Friday at 12:53 a.m.: The L.A. Times' Michael Finnegan and James Rainey advance the story a good bit. Riordan is close to inheriting Schwarzenegger's campaign team (mostly ex-advisers to former Gov. Pete Wilson), and he's seeking advice from Democrats he has worked with before. Mrs. Riordan wants San Francisco Democrat Clint Reilly to play a role in any recall race. But one key adviser, Republican and former Wilson aide George Gorton, says the Riordan campaign's ultimate number one would be Noelia Rodriguez, press secretary to First Lady Laura Bush. Rodriguez was Riordan's communications honcho at City Hall.

Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger won't tell all until next week:

Maybe it was all a ruse? Hugh Hewitt, who has a good antenna for things Republican, said last week that Arnold wouldn't run. His take was that The Terminator was just giving his pal Riordan some cover to decide if, at 73, he wanted to go again.

Originally posted Thursday at 8:53 p.m.