Tachycardia

Dec 8, 2005

Governor Schwarzenegger is reportedly "feeling fine" after visiting the hospital late Tuesday night for a fast heart rate, report Gary Delsohn and Dorsey Griffith for the Bee. "Margita Thompson, the governor's press secretary, said the rapid heartbeat was brought on by a case of the stomach flu."

The governor had surgery on a heart valve in 1997.

Despite the official blame of the flu, plenty of Capitol wannabe doctors blamed the visit on future events the governor may be trying to get out of, including yesterday's unveiling of the Gray Davis portrait, today's clemency hearing for Stanley "Tookie" Williams or, uh, re-election.

The governor was willing to joke about the incident during the portrait unveiling. "I just do this every so often to show that Republicans do have a heart. No, in all seriousness, the doctor said everything is fine. I just got a little bit too excited over the fact that I'm going to see Gray Davis' portrait today."

Robert Salladay reports on the portrait ceremony for the Times. "Davis was his old self: He delivered a campaign speech a little too long, touching on bond measures and bills passed long ago. He thanked many people — even those who meant to come but didn't — not stopping until he thanked the four guys who hung his portrait on the 3rd-floor landing near paintings of former governors Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown."

Just a little abuse for old time's sake.

On to the business of today. George Skelton argues that, in reviewing clemency for Williams, the governor should only look at potential guilt. "Writing anti-gang children's books is wonderful, and it shows Williams' capacity to understand right from wrong, and to lead a productive life. God can take these good deeds into consideration. Problem for us is, he didn't show these qualities before he brutally snuffed out the lives of four innocent people, forever scarring two families. Now, 26 years later, it's long past time for just punishment."

Meanwhile, Dan Morain writes for the Times that one of the figures in the Duke Cunningham scandal contributed $73,000 to the governor and received two state appointments, but has since resigned. "At Schwarzenegger's behest, Brent Wilkes, founder of the government contractor ADCS Inc., resigned Nov. 29 from the Del Mar Fair Board and from another panel that oversees the leasing of state land for racetracks, said Margita Thompson, the governor's press secretary.

"Schwarzenegger appointed Wilkes to the Del Mar board in April 2004 and to the State Race Track Leasing Commission last April. A seat on the Del Mar board is a sought-after post given the panel's association with the Del Mar racetrack, among the most successful tracks in the nation."

Contributors receiving appointments? Shocking.

In today's News and Review, Jill Stewart questions the outcry over Susan Kennedy's appointment. "It all makes my head hurt. The media, and the governor’s own GOP, don’t seem to grasp that Kennedy’s appointment is not radical and not bizarre. It’s the logical next step for a governor who has aggressively appointed Democratic honchos to hundreds of powerful state jobs and judgeships that he controls."

"Everybody knows that the formula Schwarzenegger used this past year has failed miserably. He went partisan, and too Republican. Now he’s returning to his fresh-minded default approach, of mixing the parties together to see what happens."

"One thing that happens, and it’s neither bizarre nor radical, is Susan Kennedy."

However, having the first lady's chief of staff sit in on key policy meetings may in fact be radical and/or bizarre. But that's exactly what's going on in the Schwarzenegger administration, according to Capitol Weekly's Shane Goldmacher. "Though [Daniel] Zingale serves as chief of staff to Maria Shriver, the governor's Democratic wife, he is emerging as an important voice in the administration. His presence at policy meetings is an unprecedented role for an advisor to a California first lady."

And the ongoing shakeup inside the governor's office comes at a critical juncture. "Many Republicans feel the shakeup highlights the crux of the problem inside the Schwarzenegger administration--a staff without an ideological consensus, no clear internal hierarchy and a team of advisors who sometimes act as if they do not trust each other.

Steve Maviglio, who served as press secretary to Davis, says that crafting the state of the state is a tense affair, even when all those present agree ideologically."I can't imagine what it's like when people are coming at a problem from different philosophical angles not style angles--when you are arguing about substance, not style," said Maviglio.

But Capitol Weekly's John Howard reports the real test for Schwarzenegger is on policy. Over the next couple of months, he will have to reassure Republicans he's still on their team, even as he moves to the political center. Among the landmines ahead are the Williams clemency, the Supreme Court nomination, the state budget and the State of the State address.

"If he doesn't fill that (court) position with an out-and-out conservative Republican, it's all over for him," said one Capitol Republican, not a conservative. "If he grants clemency to Tookie, it's all over for him."

Speaking of next year, Malcolm Maclachlan reports the governor is likely to take on some kind of children's health initiative in the coming legislative year. "'This is high on their radar screen,' said Wendy Lazarus co-president of the Children's Partnership, a group that advocates for low-income children. 'They've certainly suggested that they want to do something in 2006.'"

Rob Reiner announced that he would not run for governor next year. "Intrigued by the speculation, Reiner said, he brought up the idea recently to his family. But he said his two youngest children — who used to go to school with Schwarzenegger's children — became tearful and urged him not to enter the race."

"Reiner said he thought that it would be 'disingenuous' to fight for better education for youngsters in California while ignoring his own children's concerns."

Mark Barabak and Jean Pasco write in the Times that while Jim Gilchrist and his supporters claim his votes in the CD48 runoff argues for immigration policy changes, backers of victor John Campbell play down the 25% of the vote Gilchrist received.

"Backers of Campbell, an Irvine Republican, said his Tuesday night win with 45% of the vote over Jim Gilchrist, co-founder of the civilian Minuteman border patrol, showed that a tough stance on immigration issues was not enough to sway voters — even in the birthplace of Proposition 187, the 1994 ballot measure that targeted illegal immigrants."

"'It looks like it didn't work out for Jimmy One-Note,' said Orange County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh. 'This race was over the day John Campbell filed papers.'"

"'It's not at the very top tier. It's not up there with combating terrorism or protecting jobs. But it's certainly in the second tier,' said pollster Andrew Kohut, president of the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, who said illegal immigration could become a hotter issue with increased concern about the economy and U.S. engagement abroad."

Capitol Weekly sits down with stem cell head Robert Klein to talk about the future of stem cell research. You can read the transcript here

Even after defeat, Proposition 77 is still alive in the courts. Yesterday, the California Supreme Court heard arguments in Los Angeles about how to handle future ballot measures that have slight variances in language during circulation. "'Where do we draw the line ... in terms of the discrepancies ... that will cause the court to take something off the ballot?' [Chief Justice Ronald] George said.

Today in history: John Lennon was killed in New York City 25 years ago.