Graz, Austria, Oct 08: From Moscow to his hometown in Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger's victory in California was cheered today as a uniquely American political triumph with more drama and suspense than a Hollywood script. After partying the night away, Austrian dignitaries and admirers in Schwarzenegger's home region celebrated his win by claiming him anew as one of their own. In a local bar, dozens mingled over a breakfast of scrambled eggs and coffee, breaking into cheers and applause when Schwarzenegger's victory speech - dubbed over into German - was broadcast live on big-screen TVS.
"He's one of us," Waltraud Klasnic, the Governor of Schwarzenegger's home province of Styria told reporters. "And this is going to push us a little bit more into the foreground on the international stage."
"Many people in the world - and in America - now know where Styria is."
Schwarzenegger's victory led the main morning news programmes in Russia, where the news broke as Muscovites were waking up and heading for work.

Back in Austria, Frank Bogen, a 73-year-old former diplomat, described how he spent the night listening to television updates on the race.
Many here, Bogen said, feel a strong emotional connection to Schwarzenegger.
Bureau Report