The Bee
wraps this weekend's Republican convention in Anaheim, where the governor endorsed Proposition 75, which requires public employee unions to seek approval before dues are used for political activity. "After months of watching Democrats and public employee unions pummel the governor with ads and protests, they finally saw their standard-bearer ready to fight back."
"
Mike Spence, California Republican Assembly president, said activists are upset with Schwarzenegger's political consultants because 'there's been no real answering back' to the barrage of ads attacking him."
"'I don't think you'll find an endorsement of his political team at this convention,' Spence said."
"
Allan Hoffenblum, a GOP consultant,
called the governor's political operation 'a total failure,' while former Republican Party chairman and legislator
Robert Naylor said: 'We're all anxious to see the ads. ... It's been totally one-sided so far.'"
"'It seems like whenever we go into an election, we are down in the polls,' said
Jon Fleischman, a former state Republican Party executive director. 'Republican activists are at their strongest when they are backed into a corner.'"
John Wildermuth writes in the Chron "
Mike Murphy, Schwarzenegger's political consultant,
confidently told reporters Friday that, '
The campaign begins now,' but he was only talking about Schwarzenegger's part of the election."
"Schwarzenegger called himself 'bloody, but unbowed' Saturday, and described the attack ads as the price he has paid for fighting the employee unions and other groups for reform."
In case you missed it, here's
Dan Schnur's take on Murphy and the Schwarzenegger political operation, in an online-only piece for
Capitol Weekly. The Register reports that
Phil Angelides stayed across the street to provide commentary. "In the Hilton Hotel across the street from the convention, 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides portrayed himself - not Schwarzenegger - as the man of the people. The state treasurer painted the public-employee unions, which have been hammering the governor in television ads, as representatives of the working people, while saying the governor's corporate donors are the ones to be wary of."
Meanwhile, the governor
went to an African-American church Sunday. "After a week filled with campaigning, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday sang with 4,000 parishioners and bowed his head in prayer at a predominantly African-American church in urban Los Angeles."
"It was Schwarzenegger's first visit to the Crenshaw Christian Center's 10,000-seat geodesic FaithDome, established by the Rev.
Frederick K.C. Price. A prominent televangelist, Price is a vocal opponent of gay marriage who backed the re-election of President
George W. Bush."
The LA Times's Michael Finnegan
writes a memo to the gov with lots of free, albeit uninvited, political advice from political consultants.
"'He's fallen into one of the most dangerous traps for a statewide Republican candidate, and that is to become the captive of the Republican base, which is far, far to the right of the average voter in California,' said Democratic strategist
Eric Jaye."
"
Bill Carrick, a Democratic consultant on the team making TV ads against Schwarzenegger's ballot measures, said he expected the governor's rhetoric against 'union bosses' to backfire. He questioned the wisdom of Schwarzenegger's political advisors in using such tactics in a state dominated by Democrats."
"'I think they ought to move to South Carolina, some place where you can sell that stuff,' said Carrick, a native of that politically fierce Southern state. 'Union bashing has never worked in California.'"
"Republican strategist
Kevin Spillane said Schwarzenegger could easily reach out to moderate voters by pointing to Democrats he appointed to top state jobs, his support for stem cell research and his steps to protect the environment."
"'He certainly has the ability to communicate to the electorate that he's not a conventional Republican,' Spillane said."
Kate Folmar uses the governor's Friday reelection announcement to look at
the original promises the governor made in 2003. And, she finds, they have not all been kept. "It included a
fund-raising blackout during budget season, redrawing political boundaries and a vow to veto bills that hadn't been fully vetted in the Legislature. Now, as Schwarzenegger campaigns for a special election and a second term, most of
his political reform pledges stand as unfinished promises, ideas that were pursued but have withered amid political reality."
Well, the governor's veto pen seems to be in working order, and he is pushing for redistricting changes. So what, we wonder, could Ms. Folmar be focusing on in her piece?
George Skelton
spills the ink against Proposition 77, arguing that the measure's intent is correct, but the specifics are flawed. "This is the most goofy thing: After the redistricting is adopted by the judges — and while candidates are running in the new districts — the entire plan must be placed on the statewide ballot for voter approval."
"Redding residents would be deciding whether to approve a district in Redlands. San Francisco voters would be signing off on political lines in San Diego."
"Why? Because it polls well."
"'It's the single most popular part of the initiative,' says
Ted Costa, a longtime political activist who crafted Prop. 77, which Schwarzenegger adopted. 'Ask people if they want to vote on things, they want to vote on things. 'You want to vote on the technicality of nuclear power?' 'Oh yes, we want to vote on that, bring it on.'"
"But political analyst
Tony Quinn, a former redistricting advisor for GOP legislators, asserts that "a vote of the people is entirely unnecessary and is ripe for games-playing and abuse" by politicians and special interests."
The Times reports that
Coastal Commissioner Jim Aldinger resigned, a story
broken by Capitol Weekly on Friday.
Not unlike the 2002 Times-Picayune series
predicting the New Orleans flood, the LA Times
is warning of major levee failure in the event of a large quake in the Central Valley. "The threat is well known. A big quake rumbles across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, knocking out dozens of the primitive levees that guard the state's main water crossroads.
A key source of water for nearly two out of three Californians and the nation's biggest fruit and vegetable garden is shut down for months, maybe even a year or two."
Finally, from our
Anything for a Good Cause files, it appears that
Snoop Dogg is seeking to raise exposure for hurricane victims. The rapper is
forwarding all proceeds from him "Girls Gone Wild" videos to benefit hurricane victims in Louisiana and Alabama. "Girls Gone Wild" will donate to the Red Cross the online purchase prices of each title or package set "that has anything to do with Mardi Gras," including "the very popular 'Girls Gone Wild Doggy Style'."
Does that mean the tapes can be a tax write-off?
