A preview of Arnold's second act (aRnie's Utopian dreams)

Schwarzenegger will need the same people skills to repair another fracture on his right — his deteriorating relationship with the legislative wing of the Republican Party. Right now, that relationship is headed from critical condition to "do not resuscitate."

LEGISLATIVE Republicans have every reason to gripe. The governor's most notable "conservative" accomplishments are defensive in nature: He hasn't raised taxes (now debatable, depending on how one interprets the revenue provisions of his universal healthcare plan); he hasn't signed a same-sex marriage law; and he refuses to provide driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. ...

There is an underlying irony to his conflict with conservative Republicans. Probably the most appealing idea in the governor's new budget to GOP lawmakers is cutting welfare benefits to encourage recipients to enter the workforce. But the Republicans suffer from a different form of dependency — the urge to whine and complain instead of offering concrete ideas to move forward. Maybe it's what comes from being a political underclass. But it's not productive. And it won't work with an optimist like the governor.

Still, is Schwarzenegger truly a Republican when his ideas aren't well received by party regulars? It's a fair question. And it's worth remembering that Hiram Johnson, the great reformer and Schwarzenegger's first gubernatorial role model, started out as a Republican governor before joining Theodore Roosevelt and the "Bull Moose" Progressive Party after only two years in Sacramento.

Our nonconformist governor may be best described as a "utopian." Schwarzenegger aspires to a pristine environment, economic progress across class lines and healthcare for all. His basis for action is a kind of "political transcendentalism" — a personal belief that within California's political system there exists a spiritual desire that outweighs the worst of partisan urges. Healthcare reform will put that faith to its strongest test.

And it's worth remembering that Hiram Johnson, the great reformer and Schwarzenegger's first gubernatorial role model, started out as a Republican governor before joining Theodore Roosevelt and the "Bull Moose" Progressive Party after only two years in Sacramento.

The Times should check its own archives. Hiram was much worse than they describe.

Arnold is truly emulating Hiram, the man he praised during the Recall campaign

Los Angeles Times, Jun 22, 1928; pg. 1
So far from aiding Hoover or maintaining "party harmony," The Times believes that any deal between Republicans and this notorious traitor to the party will do more to damage Republicanism and its candidate, not only in California but elsewhere, than any other single mistake which could be made. Any effort, passive or active, calculated to delude the rank and file of the party into the belief that Johnson, who so often has betrayed them, has suddenly become a fit object for their support, would be, an act of treachery comparable only to Johnson's own black record of political betrayals during the past eighteen years.
Los Angeles Times, Jun 22, 1928; pg. 1
In 1912 Johnson bolted the Republican party, denouncing it as a "tool of capitalism," a "cesspool of corruption," "rotten to the core," etc. He was then the "Republican" Governor of California, in office by virtue of Republican voters given him as a Republican candidate.
In the same year when the Socialist La Follette was being boomed for President, Johnson organized the La Follette campaign committee and threw the support of his machine to La Follette. Then, Theodore Roosevelt organized the Progressive party and promised Johnson the Vice-Presidency in return for Johnson's pledge of California. Johnson instantly threw La Follette overboard, changed the name of his committee to the Roosevelt League and helped to engineer the nation-wide split in the Republican party which resulted in the defeat of Taft.
In 1914 Johnson used his authority as Governor to dismiss from all boards and commissions of the State every registered Republican.
In 1915, after building up a political machine which trebled the costs of State government in one gubernatorial term, Johnson forced through the Legislature a bill prohibiting the use of any party name or designation on State election ballots for no other purpose than to hamstring the Republican party and give him absolute control.
In 1916, as a candidate for the United States Senate, Johnson made an open and notorious deal with the Democrats whereby he and his then powerful State machine threw their support to Wilson, Democratic candidate for President, and opposed Hughes, the Republican nominee, in return for Democratic support for Johnson.
[More]
Los Angeles Times, Nov 1, 1932; pg. A4
HIRAM JOHNSON CLASSIFIED
When Hiram Johnson, so-called Republican Senator from California, reaches here this morning on his mission of treachery to the party which has given him all, he has ever had of political office and preferment, his greeting will be one of repudiation on the part of those whom, for the last of many times, he has contemptuously betrayed.
The blistering statement issued yesterday by Ingall W, Bull, chairman of the Los Angeles Republican County Central Committee, is an accurate summary of the attitude of the real Republicans of California toward this traitor to his salt. That this realization did not come sooner and thereby earlier rid the party of Johnson's nominal and self-serving affiliation therewith is unfortunate for the party; that it has come in full measure at last is a wholesome, if belated, sign.
Yet Johnson today is no different from the Johnson of four or eight or twelve or twenty years ago. It did not need his present eleventh-hour efforts to throw California to the Democrats to classify him. His malignant vilification of President Hoover in San Francisco last Friday night had its precise counterpart in his anti-Hoover utterances of 1920 and in his whole consistent record of anti-Republicanism for the past score of years. Nor can any doubt that, should Johnson need Republican votes two years from now, he will repeat the same servile, hypocritical pledges of party allegiance with which he deceived the Republican State organization four years ago.
(snip)
Bear in mind that all these treacheries, all these sell-outs to the enemy, including the present one, have been by a man who has consistently called himself, but has never been, a Republican.
He has used the party name and the party prestige to advance himself, and he has never considered anything but his own selfish interest. The mass of illogical political farrago which make up the typical Johnsonian speech are uttered for the sole, if undisclosed, purpose of , attempting to persuade the American people that no man but Johnson is fit to be President.

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