(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Schwarzenegger didn't put anyone to death. California did.
Schwarzenegger didn't have to host a personal appeal of the sentence. Schwarzenegger didn't have to announce the results of his decision on the appeal. Schwarzenegger chose to do both and politicized the process.