Posted on 02/22/2009 8:29:54 AM PST by SmithL
State Sen. Abel Maldonado wins the play of the week award, even if it did make him the most unpopular politician in Sacramento.
Maldonado, R-Santa Maria (Santa Barbara County), had been waiting a long time for this moment. When the opportunity arose - with the state about to go into meltdown mode if the budget deal fell apart - he played it just right.
All along, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thought he had Maldonado's vote in his pocket. After all, the moderate Maldonado had always played ball with the governor before, bucking fellow Republicans by voting to increase the minimum wage and helping to pass the last budget.
What Schwarzenegger apparently forgot was to return the favor by helping Maldonado in the Republican primary when he ran for state controller in 2006.
This time, Maldonado decided to go his own way.
He didn't say a word during the lengthy budget talks. He just acted like he was part of the wallpaper.
Then all the other Republicans stuck to their no-new-taxes dogma, the state got to the edge of the cliff and Maldonado became the make-or-break vote on the whole deal.
If you're a politician, and you're smart, that's when you shoot the moon.
A state vote on an open primary? You want it, Abel, you got it. No raises for legislators when the state is in the red? Roger. No gas-tax hike? We can find that money somewhere.
And he got more than his wish list. He got attention.
I've known Maldonado for years. He's a jovial, independently wealthy, fun guy who has become the closest thing the Republicans have to a rising Latino star.
He would have fit in well with the old-school legislators.
With his money, if he could ever get past a Republican primary, he could get elected...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Now there's a surprise!
“All along, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thought he had Maldonado’s vote in his pocket...”
I’m confused... If Arnold doesn’t want this budget, then why doesn’t he veto it?
I have some respect for Willie. I could have some lunch and watch a ballgame with him. I absolutely could not with most of the “new age daily Kos” liberals.
LOL! That's our Willie - he's not afraid to call 'em like he sees 'em. ;)
Agreed! He’s like that crazy Uncle who stands for everything you oppose, but still is quite likable as a person.
Then why are you here? Didn't you learn anything with the election of Arnold in the recall?
Ah...but I DID learn something and that is...VOTE CONSERVATIVE ON A LOCAL LEVEL...or ...you’re screwed as a Republican Governor with a bunch of Liberal Legislators surrounding you and your every move. Homelife was an additional burden/joke.
CA has to take baby steps...calculated baby steps, or we’ll never see the Conservative light of day.
Willie admires a dealer.
Henceforth on FR to be referred to as Ahole Maldonado.
I always have. Unfortunately our local RCC was taken over by RINOs. We don't get conservative candidates any more. In fact, it was they who put up Abel Maldonado.
QED
Arnold wanted the budget (an even bigger one, actually).
Arnold wanted the open primary, too.
This was all a charade by the Trojan Horse wing of the GOP.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/lisavorderbrueggen/ci_11759514
Sen. Abel Maldonado, a moderate Central Coast Republican, broke with his party and demanded the Legislature let voters decide the open primary question in return for his critical vote on the budget.
Horse-trading for votes is disturbing on many levels, but the open primary was headed for the ballot anyway. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly told legislators that he would spend millions of dollars bringing it to the ballot through an initiative.
In fact, one of the seltzer pills offered to gagging Democrats was the idea that it would allow them to put the measure on the election of their choice — June 2010 — rather than an earlier date that could put it in play in the governor’s race.
Dick Mountjoy, the most conservative of the California Senate, admired Willie and was privately friendly with him.
Senator Mountjoy had several stories he liked to tell about Willie Brown. One tale involved Mountjoy himself when he moved from the Assembly to the Senate. In every previous election Willie Brown, an Assemblyman himself, had funded and supported whatever Dem candidate was running against Dick. After Mountjoy was elected to the Senate he happened to pass Willie (still in the Assembly) in a hallway. They greeted each other and then Mountjoy confided to Brown that he had a problem. Willie was instantly concerned and offered to help any way he could. Mountjoy explained to Willie that every time he had run for the Assembly he had appealed to the voters that he was being opposed by Willie Brown. Now that they were no longer both in the Assembly, Mountjoy couldn't use that appeal.
Willie Brown thought for a moment and told Mountjoy to continue using that assertion in his campaigns. According to Willie, the voters wouldn't know the difference anyway.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.