Posted on 01/17/2005 8:44:34 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — Democrats who ran California are battling daily with a new Republican icon over politically remaking the state, but about half their best warriors are crippled by woes that include corruption probes.
And officials this week will intensify scrutiny of one, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley.
Analysts said it's a dramatic turnaround from when the only statewide GOP officeholder four years ago, former Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, resigned after a probe into the alleged channeling of insurance companies' money into a nonprofit group.
"Potential gubernatorial and statewide Democratic candidates fear the albatrosses around their necks will sink them," said Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the California Republican Party. "And they are woefully out of line with mainstream voters."
First, voters replaced unpopular Democratic Gov. Gray Davis with former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who ran on a reform platform, in an historic recall election in 2003.
Now, two Bay Area figures — Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, an Oakland Democrat thought of as the second most powerful state politician after the governor, and Shelley, a former lawmaker — are facing investigations of alleged fiscal improprieties.
Two other statewide-elected Democrats, Lt Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, stumbled during the recall election. Bustamante ran unsuccessfully against party leaders' wishes and lost. Garamendi jumped into the race and right back out again.
Both of them, along with Shelley, had been thought to be potential gubernatorial material. Now recall efforts have been mentioned in connection with Shelley, and termed-out Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina Del Rey, announced plans to run against him in 2006.
"It would take a comeback of Nixonian proportions to put Shelley back into contention for higher office," said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College in Pomona. "If you hear of Kevin Shelley now, it's in terms of corruption problems."
Shelley dodged an initial legislative hearing, sending a representative instead. At the 11th hour Thursday, before being issued a subpoena to testify at the next hearing Feb. 3, he agreed to appear.
"I look forward to doing so," Shelley said in a statement, echoed by spokeswoman Caren Daniels-Meade, with no further elaboration.
Shelley is resisting Republicans' mounting calls for resignation.
He's accused of lax oversight of millions in federal dollars meant to improve the state's voting systems. A state audit indicated some of the money went to "questionable" contracts with Democratic allies and consultants who attended partisan political events.
The secretary of state acknowledged mistakes but said they were unintentional and that he'd taken steps to resolve the issues.
Shelley also faces several other probes. Sacramento County is looking into the actions of a top Shelley fund-raiser who may have funneled funds from a state grant into his political committee. State officials also are reviewing allegations Shelley verbally abused several female staff members. And election officials in Washington may probe Shelley's use of federal funds.
Shelley had been on his way up.
"A couple years ago if anybody had heard of Kevin Shelley, it was in the context of election reform," Pitney said.
Shelley ran the complex but problem-free gubernatorial recall election last year and was hailed nationwide for aggressive steps aimed at ensuring accurate electronic voting in California.
"It was a very divisive debate but it won him a lot of fans across the country," said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, a nonpartisan analyst of voter trends.
Shelley's problems are unfolding in a highly partisan political landscape.
GOP lawmakers have accused the legislative audit committee, chaired by Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, of going easy on a fellow Democrat.
In response, Parra said she will meet with both party's leaders this coming week to discuss ways to bolster the committee's investigative efforts. Republicans want the panel to hire an independent legal counsel, give committee members the ability to summon witnesses and provide a shared document center use of the federal election money.
At the same, Republicans may investigate him in Washington.
"I think the spirit of the law suggested this is not money that would be used for purely partisan purposes," said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for Rep. Bob Ney, the Ohio Republican who wrote the election-money law.
And the Schwarzenegger administration is looking at whether it can wrest control of the federal funds from Shelley.
Schwarzenegger, still immensely popular, is waging a sweeping campaign this year for reform of everything from state spending to the way political districts are drawn — which administration officials believe favors Democrats.
In the effort to counter him, Democrats Shelley, Bustamante, Garamendi, and Perata have been sidelined to some extent, according to analysts.
And state Controller Steve Westley has been handicapped by his public support last year of Schwarzenegger.
Of the remaining high-profile Democrats, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, is a relative newcomer.
State Treasurer Phil Angelides and Attorney General Bill Lockyer, both discounted somewhat politically by possible runs for governor in 2006, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, have hit the road to oppose some Schwarzenegger initiatives — but have drawn little attention.
Lockyer, who hails from the East Bay, said at a joint appearance Friday in Sunnyvale that the governor's proposed budget is a "double-barreled attack on California's kids" since it cuts education now and places the burden of borrowing on future generations.
Hopefully as the democratic loss power in one of their strongest states, it will help the DNC focus on their problems and start rebuilding their party.
Before I get flamed for rooting for the democrats. I believe in a strong opposing party, keeps the GOP focused and on their toes instead of getting fat and lazy.
One powerful ruling government party is a recipe for disaster.
"Potential gubernatorial and statewide Democratic candidates fear the albatrosses around their necks will sink them," said Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the California Republican Party. "And they are woefully out of line with mainstream voters."
"Now, two Bay Area figures — Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, an Oakland Democrat thought of as the second most powerful state politician after the governor, and Shelley, a former lawmaker — are facing investigations of alleged fiscal improprieties."
The investigations of Smelley and PeRATa would never had happened with Davis in power.
We are waiting for the next Kalifornian Rat Politician to be identified as a real crook.
tick tick tick tick tick..
Tonight, On 60 Hoodwinks, we look into the multitudes of corruption probes of democRatic leaders in the State of California .. Or NOT!!! :-)
Now, two Bay Area figures — Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, an Oakland Democrat thought of as the second most powerful state politician after the governor, and Shelley, a former lawmaker — are facing investigations of alleged fiscal improprieties.A weak opposition is what the doctor ordered.
Press on Governor Schwarzenegger and go after the unions.
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