Schwarzenegger's Post-Partisanship in Peril?

The Washington Post ^ | June 21, 2007 | David S. Broder

[neverdem]

SACRAMENTO -- In the heat of Central Valley, with midday temperatures over 100 degrees, Democratic legislators are preparing to test their working partnership with Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the ultimate crucible by asking voters to relax the limits on their time in office.

They hope that by joining forces with the governor on a wide range of big issues, they will gain enough credit that their constituents will let them stay in office beyond the strict time imposed by a 1990 term-limits initiative.

But before they take the new limits to the polls in an initiative planned for next February's presidential primary, the legislature and governor must agree on a redistricting reform that will take line-drawing out of politics and put it in the hands of a nonpartisan commission. Schwarzenegger has made approval of the redistricting reform the condition for his supporting the term-limits initiative.

And that is where it gets complicated for the Democrats. Schwarzenegger wants the proposed redistricting commission to have authority to revise congressional lines, as well as legislative. That prospect alarms the powerful California contingent in Washington, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Comfortable in the seats they hold under a five-year-old insiders' deal that locked in both parties' incumbents, these members of Congress are threatening to raise millions to fight any redistricting reform that includes them.

The looming political impasse tests the partnership that has grown up this past year between Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, a liberal Democrat, and Schwarzenegger. Núñez and his fellow Democrats treated Schwarzenegger with contempt when the former bodybuilder and Hollywood star showed up in Sacramento as the surprise winner of the recall election against Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger famously derided them as "girlie men," but when he tried to skip the legislature and pass the heart of his...

[neverdem]

I guess Nancy Pelosi isn’t thrilled about this.

[goldstategop]

Its not going to happen. While state legislators would like more time in office, they're going to give up their safe seats to do so - and the Democrats will do nothing to jeopardize the Democrat lock on the state's huge 53 member Congressional delegation.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus