Steve Westly may have the best chance of beating
Arnold Schwarzenegger, but his past support of the governor's initiatives may
keep him from taking the Democratic Primary, writes Peter Hecht in the Bee. "'The biggest litmus test in the Democratic Party seems to be not how much you hate Arnold but how long you have hated him,' said
Dan Schnur, a Republican political analyst."
"According to a recent Field Poll, Westly - the man who campaigned with Schwarzenegger - now appears to have the best chance of beating him. While Angelides tied Schwarzenegger at 39 percent apiece in a hypothetical match-up, voters preferred Westly over Schwarzenegger by 41 percent to 37 percent."
"But in the Democratic primary, Westly trails Angelides by 26 percent to 18 percent among likely Democratic primary voters - with the overwhelming majority, 54 percent, undecided, according to the Field Poll."
"'I have never seen a politician so quick to try to please and so eager to be liked than Westly,' said
Todd Harris, a Republican strategist and the communications director for the Proposition 57 and 58 campaigns. 'Steve very eagerly adopted the role of the sidekick. I think he believed it was politically expedient.'"
"Westly dismisses Harris' comment, saying supporting the initiatives was 'the right thing to do,' not a bid for political points."
Edwin Garcia writes in the Merc News that the
issue of water storage stymied the bond package. "With his $68 billion public works borrowing plan about to sink last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger desperately urged Republicans and Democrats to find common ground on a fundamental issue: whether to repair dams, build new ones or leave them off the infrastructure package entirely."
"But legislators weren't about to make a hasty decision over surface water storage, a topic contested for decades and one that won't soon go away."
"When it comes to water and how to store it, the only common vision shared by Republicans and Democrats, rural residents and urban dwellers, farmers and environmentalists, is that the matter is treated with a passion few other topics command."
We at the Roundup would like to thank Mr. Garcia for not
quoting Mark Twain here.
"'This is an issue that almost became a religious issue,' Schwarzenegger told reporters. 'It's amazing. It was like the holy war in some ways.'"
The Oakland Tribune's Steve Geissinger writes that
Don Perata plans to push forward on a bond package, even while some doubt his intentions. "Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Perata had both proposed broader infrastructure repair plans. '
I remain committed to giving voters a comprehensive bond measure that addresses the long overdue investments we need to make in transportation and schools,' Perata said Friday. 'Early this coming week, we will unveil our next step to move the infrastructure bonds forward.'"
"Analysts said Perata is now viewed as everything from an obstructionist who killed any chance for Schwarzenegger's public works bonds this year, and perhaps ruined the governor's re-election chances, to a consensus builder who acts as a check on the governor's power."
Can't you be both?
"But analysts said Perata has left no doubt he's the second most powerful politician in the state. 'This puts Perata at center stage,' said
Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College."
The Bee's Buzz column says the bonds were
killed by tensions between Perata and Fabian Nuñez. "The biggest color-coded rivalry in the Capitol might be red and green, as in the traditional colors of the state Senate and Assembly, respectively."
"Facing a Wednesday night deadline to put public works bonds on the June ballot, the Capitol
featured hijinks usually reserved for the final nights of a session."
Perata gavelled the Senate session closed before the Assembly could pass their school and levee bond package, killing any hopes of a partial deal for the June ballot.
George Skelton looks at the
institutional reasons behind the failure of the June bond package.
"This generation of politicians, including Schwarzenegger, worships Gov. Pat Brown — 'the great builder' — and strives to be his disciples.
Few realize, I suspect, that the crowning achievement of Brown's career — passage of a bond funding the lionized California Water Project — was attained without a two-thirds legislative vote."
"'They couldn't have gotten a two-thirds vote,' recalls
Ron Robie, a state appellate judge who, in that era, worked for the bond's legislative coauthor and later became state water director."
Skelton also cites term limits, which have led to a lack of strong committee chairs and legislative leaders. "Increasingly, the four leaders have turned to 'Big Five' negotiations with the governor, skirting the traditional committee process and upsetting ignored colleagues."
"Not even the great Pat Brown could have maneuvered a big bond through this impassable maze."
The Bee's Peter Hecht looks at the
effect of term limits on women in the Legislature. "[B]y 2005, a record 30.8 percent of the state Legislature - 12 senators and 25 of 80 Assembly members - were women. The increase was credited to rising participation by women in politics as well as the 1990 term-limits law, which upset an entrenched men's club by opening legislative seats for new candidates."
"Yet, suddenly, those same term limits are threatening to upset the gains of women. Sixteen female lawmakers - 15 Democrats and one Republican - will be "termed out" this year and 11 more are to give up their seats in 2008."
"'When women leave office, it is always a struggle to find enough women to replace them,' said
Ellen Malcolm, president of Emily's List, a national political action committee that recruits and trains female candidates and raises money for their campaigns. 'We're very concerned about California.
We're going to lose so many women if we don't work hard to replace them.'"
...and even if you do, how can you stop them from running against
each other?
Meanwhile, Republicans in GOP strongholds are getting
increasingly disenfranchised with President Bush and the war, writes Carla Marinucci in the Chron. The first test may be the April 11 election to replace
Duke Cunningham, who resigned under corruption charges.
"Tellingly, [Sept. 11 World Trade Center survivor
Marilyn Joy] Shephard was one of a handful of Republicans in Escondido attending a house party for a Democrat,
Francine Busby, a school board member from Cardiff-by-the-Sea who hopes to win the solidly Republican 50th congressional district seat vacated by GOP Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham after his conviction on corruption charges. A special election is scheduled for April 11."
"Yet despite the doubts, there remains a core of Republicans in the area who are stalwarts for the president and the Iraq mission."
"One is
Howard Kaloogian, a Republican candidate for the 50th congressional district seat who said he isn't surprised that loyal Republicans are showing 'a Vietnam-like fatigue' on the war. The media and the president are to blame, he said."
And probably in that order.
Finally, you thought people took the NCAA office pool seriously, just be happy you're
not betting on English soccer. "Liverpool have apologised to Premiership rivals Manchester United for the behaviour of their fans during last month's FA Cup tie at Anfield. Merseyside Police and the club have carried out an investigation after
United fans were attacked by home supporters who pelted them with human excrement, coins and food."