Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger and California GOP chairman
Duf Sundheim huddled at the Hyatt yesterday, and emerged to announce that the
hubbub over the governor's hiring of Susan Kennedy is over. "'I think that issue has been put to rest,' Sundheim said of the Kennedy matter, after the governor's session with the state GOP board in a conference room at the Hyatt Regency that lasted about an hour. '
He made it clear she is there to implement his policies. She's totally committed to that, and we support his decision.'"
After being told that GOP leaders would have direct access to the governor without going through Kennedy, Sundheim said "
this is the last time we're going to be talking about this as a controversial issue."
Uh-huh...until the governor makes a deal with legislative Democrats that Republicans don't like.
The governor also met with Senate Republicans. "'Everybody seemed to be satisfied about the decision ... and the direction we are going to go in the future, and like I said, it is always good when people are dissatisfied that we get together and meet and express our point of views, and that is exactly what has happened today,' Schwarzenegger said."
All are not convinced, Laura Kurtzman
writes in the Mercury News. "Despite the governor's assurances, one conservative who has been most outspoken against Kennedy said he was not mollified, nor were the activists who do the political grunt work necessary to win elections."
"'It's not over,' said
Mike Spence, the president of the California Republican Assembly. '
We still have the February convention. The governor, if he proposes his big general obligation bond, there's going to be another big fight over that, and I think the dissatisfaction is going to continue.'"
Mark Martin writes in the Chron "It's
not unusual for a governor to have an awkward alliance with lawmakers of his own party -- it's been the norm in Sacramento."
"[
Gray] Davis had a notoriously frosty relationship with legislative Democrats, particularly former Senate President Pro Tem
John Burton of San Francisco. Gov.
Pete Wilson warred with GOP lawmakers early in his tenure when he endorsed a tax increase to plug a budget deficit, famously telling Republican legislators at a meeting that they had to consider taxes or risk being 'f -- irrelevant.'"
"'A governor's job is to lead, and to solve problems,' said
Steve Merksamer, a Sacramento attorney and former chief of staff to Republican Gov.
George Deukmejian. 'Oftentimes, that requires breaking with party orthodoxy.'"
Dan Walters continues his
analysis of the Schwarzenegger's term as governor, and finds that his battle with legislators began with the famous "girlie men" speech. "'
Their approval rating is in the 30s. My approval rating is in the 70s,' Schwarzenegger said of the Democrat-controlled Legislature. 'Because the people know loud and clear they are obstructionists right now. They're stopping the budget. I am representing you, and the people know that they are representing the special interests and not the public's interests.'"
"In retrospect, the 'girlie men' remark and all it implied was a tactical political error that came to haunt Schwarzenegger. He was abruptly changing course after months of telling voters that he and Democrats were enjoying 'fantastic' levels of cooperation and progress, but didn't really lay out a rationale for the change - assuming that his popularity gave him a coating of political Teflon and that voters would follow wherever he took them, especially in a confrontation with an unpopular Legislature.
He was, therefore, beginning to create a credibility gap that was to become a yawning chasm."
Now that the governor has gotten a reprieve from California Republicans, he may need to work with political leaders in his homeland. "Political parties in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown
have started a petition drive to remove his name from a sports stadium."
"The outcry was especially sharp this week after the clemency denial for [
Stanley "Tookie"] Williams, who had written children's books warning of the dangers of gang life. Politicians from the Greens party in the southern Austrian city of Graz, Schwarzenegger's hometown, reacted by calling for his name to be removed from the "Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium."
"On Thursday, the local Social Democrats said they would support that appeal, meaning there likely will be majority backing in the city council for renaming the stadium. The council, which is responsible for the stadium, is expected to take up the matter on Jan. 19."
"A special primary election
will be held April 11 in coastal Orange County to fill a vacancy in the state Senate caused by the election of Sen.
John Campbell (R-Irvine) to Congress," reports Jean Pasco for the Times. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, the top candidates from each party will be on a June 6 runoff ballot. The same schedule will be used to replace former congressman
Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the Rancho Santa Fe congressman who resigned last month.
Capitol insiders were abuzz yesterday over a story about
Democratic Assembly candidate Nick Inzunza and the shoddy condition of many of his rental properties.
"'Excessive rats,' one woman wrote to a judge. '
Cockroaches ... crawl on bed and on the baby,' wrote another. 'Toilet broken. My kids had to walk to Burger King to use the public restroom,' still another said. The complaints are similar:
no heat, no hot water, no screens, no smoke detectors. Broken windows, broken stove, broken shower, broken toilet. Rats, ants, roaches. All of those who spoke up were evicted."
Asked recently about the condition of the properties, Inzunza said they belong to his wife, and that he hasn't "stepped foot on them in years."
Either has a handyman, apparently.
"The mayor's name, however, is on all of the deeds except two, one of which he transferred solely to his wife this week, after being told The San Diego Union-Tribune examination of his properties was about to be published."
Inzunza is running for the San Diego-area seat currently held by
Juan Vargas.
For all you 30-something, native Angelenos, take a stroll down memory lane with
Cal Worthington and his dog Spot. Here's the money quote: "Cal braved both a
mighty geyser of elephant urine and a
close-up stream of baby-goat whiz to bring us these classic ads. Thanks pardner."
From our
California Heroes files: A couple of season-ticket holders for the San Francisco 49ers have
sued to stop the security pat-downs at the entrance gates.
"The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California filed the suit Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court on behalf of Dan Sheehan, a season-ticker holder for almost 40 years, and his wife, Kathleen, alleging that the team's policy violates the couple's right to privacy under the state Constitution."
But the ACLU is reportedly OK with mandatory psychiatric evaluations for anyone who continues to shell out big money to see the 49ers get killed week after week.
"'Something's not right here,' said
Dan Sheehan, a retired glazier who said he'd owned season tickets since 1967. 'You don't get a pat-down for going to a public event. That doesn't happen in my country.'"
In America, we all have the inalienable right to shove a 40 ouncer down our pants.
