Posted on 12/10/2005 10:03:35 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Battered by conservative allies who believe he's broken faith with them, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday replaced Cabinet Secretary Terry Tamminen, a Democrat and well-known environmental activist whose appointment two years ago was trumpeted as a show of the Republican governor's bipartisanship.
Tamminen, who headed the Santa Monica-based Environment Now foundation when he became one of the governor's first major appointments in November 2003, will hold an advisory job as special assistant to the governor for energy and environmental technologies, Schwarzenegger's office announced late Friday.
Fred Aguiar, who now runs the State and Consumer Services Agency, will replace Tamminen as Cabinet secretary -- the governor's key contact with his department heads.
Tamminen's exit from the governor's top policy staff was accelerated after he angered Republicans this week by mocking the environmental record of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney at a Stanford University event for Bush's former Democratic rival, Al Gore.
The replacement of Tamminen also comes two weeks after Schwarzenegger named as his new chief of staff Susan Kennedy, a former top aide to Democratic Gov. Gray Davis -- ...
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The head of the California Nurses Association, which led the effort to defeat the governor's special election measures last month, blasted the appointment as a "desperate act" by Schwarzenegger and criticized Kennedy as a friend of big business.
Tamminen's departure is unlikely to mollify the GOP's most conservative activists, who continue to be enraged with the governor over his appointment of Kennedy, who is scheduled to begin her new job next month.
The former executive director of the California branch of the National Abortion Rights Action League, Kennedy -- a Democratic operative for more than two decades -- also is a gay rights activist and a lesbian who held a commitment ceremony with her longtime partner in Hawaii.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Terry, go to the woodshed.
Maria will be out shortly to paddle you.
"Kennedy -- a Democratic operative for more than two decades -- also is a gay rights activist and a lesbian who held a commitment ceremony with her longtime partner in Hawaii."
Its California. There are thespians behind every door.
Sounds more like a lateral transfer than a firing to me. He's still on the gravy train.
And, no, I am not "mollified." I doubt whether anyone else will be, either.
Trying to kiss butt but it won't work. We still want Susan Kennedy out of there also.
He has made enemies on the right & on the left. Does he really think that he can be reelected? I want a dem in when this state goes BK. Not a phoney Republican.
I never have seen Arnold as a "Republican".
Specter for all his faults is (barely) a Republican. A Liberal Republican, but he is one.
I've always seen Arnold as more of an "Independent". Without a political home. Liberal leaning, especially on social issues. More of a populist really. This is probably why he's had such difficulty. He's not a Democrat, and he's always held himself a bit apart from Republicans and they from him. It's one thing to win election, it's another to attempt to govern without strong allies that are usually found in the party that helps you get elected. Arnold got elected more on his name and with his own funds.
I would have voted for him if I lived in Cali because I'm not convinced McClintock would have won, and the alternative wasn't tolerable. I know, there are people that swear McClintock could have won but we'll never know. I personally see cali like i view N.J. Every election people think they have it won, then it goes back home to Dem. IMO, that's what would have happened without Arnold's Independent star power to mix up the race. It can be argued, but that's my view of Cali.
I never expected conservatism from Arnold, expect maybe some deference fiscally.
However, he crossed a line with the Kennedy appointment. A Grey Davis employee. Claiming betrayal over Arnold for being the Liberal lite Independent he is, isn't something I'm going to feel sympathy for. That was known from day one. But for him to pick a Grey Davis appointee, like Kennedy, goes right to the heart of the reason for the recall. People wanted Davis out. Arnold just invited him back in. That is a betrayal and so long as kennedy remains in that position Arnold doesn't deserve the support of anyone that voted to kick davis out.
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