Posted on 12/03/2005 11:25:15 AM PST by Kenny Bunk
Top California Republicans are wondering if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is moving left politically following his appointment to chief of staff of Susan Kennedy – a leading liberal activist and former aide to Democrat Gov. Gray Davis.
"We're not moving anywhere," Schwarzenegger says, insisting that he is continuing to go "in the same direction."
Some of his Republican colleagues wonder what direction that may be.
"I'm getting more e-mails off of this [the Kennedy appointment] than I do for Viagra," said Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, in an interview with the L.A. Times newspaper.
"Since the special election, where we were very loyal [to Schwarzenegger], all we've heard about was a $50 billion bond and looking at clemency for [convicted murderer and gang leader Stanley] Tookie Williams." Asking if there isn't "even one Republican in the state to be qualified as chief of staff?" Spence said. "I think the Kennedy thing was just the last straw."
What especially irks GOP leaders is Kennedy’s popular standing among California liberals. She is a former executive director of the state's ultra-left-wing Democratic Party, a former top member of former Gov. Gray Davis’ staff and - to the chagrin of advocates of traditional values - an abortion supporter and admitted lesbian who recently "married” her lover in a Hawaiian civil union ceremony.
GOP officials aren't alone in their criticism of the appointment, as Schwarzenegger discovered during a radio talk-show appearance with conservative host Roger Hedgecock on San Diego's KOGO radio station.
Said Hedgecock "You have once again stirred up everyone in the whole state with this announcement. This woman seems completely incompatible with any Republican principles."
Not so, said the governor, who described Kennedy as a pro-business moderate who had supported him on all of his doomed special-election ballot initiatives, including one which was fiercely opposed by Democrats because it would have put a limit on spending.
"All of the things that I have done in the last two years she believes in and actually said many times to me during the last two years that she has become a big fan of mine because of the things that I do," he told Hedgecock.
While admitting that some Republicans will be "up in arms about" the Kennedy appointment, Schwarzenegger told his host "but I have to pick someone that I feel comfortable with. And I talked to a lot of people for this job, and she was the one who I felt most comfortable with." Not every Republican is appalled at the Governor's choice. Pat Dando, president and chief executive officer of the San Jose-Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce told the San Jose Mercury News:
"I would hope that they would look at her as an individual with qualifications that are important to do the job of chief of staff." He added that Schwarzenegger "appears to be more interested in finding well-qualified individuals to work with him on both sides of the aisle than sticking to a party line, and I think that's healthy."
Yeah? Tough. They couldn't get off their fat asses and help Schwarzenegger pass his ballot initiatives.
Arnold is not Politically Clumsy, but I believe that Maria was probably the one Adviser that pushed this appointment. Think about it, who better to work really closely with the over-sexed womanizer Governor than someone that is totally grossed out sexually by men? Maria will have no worries with this Lesbian head to head with Arnold behind closed doors.
Amen!!!
You just had to do that, dincha? ROFL!
That's what baffles me about this whole whine job. The only people that correctly objected to Schwarzenegger's other fiascos were generally people on this forum. I haven't heard a whimper in public from so-called Republican leaders regarding Schwarzenegger's blunders, with the exception of McClintock on occassion and very very few others. When it comes to the party leadership, I'm not sure that Tom is what you might term 'a Party Leader' anyway, although I do consider him to be a leader on issues.
Are you suggesting that this latest move left is in response to the special election?
If so, how do you justify all of his prior leftist appointments and actions? Leftist judges. Record borrowing and record spending. Global warming. Stem-cell research support. Promotion of the Sierra Nevada conservancy. Appointments of Tamminen (treehugger), Reiss (leftist activist), Henning (red-diaper boy), etc. These actions were taken at his height of popularity.
By the way, conservatives supported Props 73 through 75 strongly--those initiatives that were most conservative--as evidenced by their strong showing in the election results. More than likely, the ones who didn't show up at the polls were the uninterested mushy-middle electorate who showed up for the recall election to vote for an action hero. Those people will never serve as much of a "base" for a politician.
Scary isn't it?
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Conservatives need all the help they can get, even from the LA Slimes, to dump the Austrian. If we're lucky, the Austrian will be so wounded by next spring that a conservative can challenge and beat him in the Republican primary.
The important point is that the CAGOP needs to dump this affable, European, liberal, huckster before he destroys the Republican Party's public image and California's fiscal health.
Yes
I'd agree with you IF there were going to be a primary next spring. From what others have been saying, it's not going to happen. So much for CA's GOP leadership.
Please don't take this as gospel because others are adamant that there will be NO Republican primary. None however have produced published evidence of that fact.
Tookie and Arnold in a remake of The Odd Couple.
You are right! There will be a primary and both Gerald Parsky and Darrel Issa threw their hats into the ring at the February convention... But the dumb delegates got stampeded into swooning for Schwartzie Baby and voted for a one time rule change allowing them to then vote to prematurely endorse him for Governor way back then!!!
So virtually there might at well not be any Primary, which is why many of us have been saying there is no Primary!!! (somebody correct me if I'm mistaken, or wrong, please)
Now... Since I believe the above to be true and largely correct... And since Arnroid essentially hijacked a Recall that Darrel Issa had invested a million of his own fortune to help the grassroots conservatives that got the whole thing started... I think it would be justice if Issa would be paid back by being given the Primary nod by Republicans in '06, just to pay him back and to pay Arnroid back for this flagrant mis-appointment that is way worse than the Harriet what's-her-name SCOTUS appointment!!!
If there's a Republican Primary, Schwarzenegger won't be getting my vote. I'll do my best to make sure he doesn't get a vote from anyone I know on the right either.
If there's a Republican Primary then we've got our work cut out for us. That primary is our only chance to avoid four more years of indigestion.
As I indicated, although you and others have vehemently indicated there will be, practically speaking, no Republican primary on June 6, 2006, it appears that McPherson will accept the 150 signatures in lieu of filing fees up to Feb 23 and Declarations/Nomination Papers plus the $3500 filling fee for gubernatorial candidates registered in the Republican Party. McPherson's site contains no disclaimers that Republicans need not apply.
Again, please correct me if I'm wrong.
He's a Republican politician in California who is doing whatever it takes to get reelected.
Everybody knew he was a RINO going in. But he sure has learned the game!
(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.")
(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.")
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