Political aftermath of Schwarzenegger's decision (helps ease growing anger within GOP base)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will likely pay a political price for his decision Monday to deny clemency to Stanley Tookie Williams III, although less so than if he had spared the four-time convicted murderer and gang founder, Republican officials and analysts predict.

The political fallout began shortly after Schwarzenegger announced his decision, with black leaders publicly criticizing the governor for what they dismissed as a political ploy. "It is clear that we have no voice and no standing with this governor," said NAACP California State Conference President Alice Huffman. She accused Schwarzenegger of clearing the way for Williams to be executed this morning to curry favor with California voters who overwhelmingly support the death penalty, and whom he needs to serve a second term as governor.

What was less clear, however, was the impact denying clemency would have on repairing relations with his party's grass roots, angry over his recent, controversial appointment of Democrat Susan Kennedy as his new chief of staff. Kennedy was a top aide to recalled Gov. Gray Davis.

The clemency denial "will definitely help him with the Republican base," agreed Sen. Dick Ackerman of Irvine, the Senate's minority leader.

"I think any other conclusion the governor would have come to would have been politically untenable," added Orange County GOP leader Scott Baugh.

But at least one key Republican critic of the governor questioned Schwarzenegger's timing of the announcement: "What troubles us is the long, drawn-out public process that took place around the clemency hearing," said Mike Spence, president of the influential California Republican Assembly, which has threatened to revoke its endorsement of Schwarzenegger over his appointment of Kennedy. "I don't think you can do the thing you ought to have done to begin with and then expect to get lots of credit for it."

From The Bakersfield Californian

Republicans split over whether clemency decision helps governor

JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer
December 13th, 2005

SACRAMENTO (AP) - California Republicans were divided over whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to deny clemency to a death row inmate would help him repair his standing with the party's grassroots, which continues to simmer over his appointment of a Democratic activist to head his staff.

Schwarzenegger's decision Monday to allow the execution of Crips co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams "will definitely help him with the Republican base," said Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Tustin. He was among those upset late last month when an embattled Schwarzenegger picked Public Utilities Commissioner Susan Kennedy, an aide to former Gov. Gray Davis, as his chief of staff.

"He took a responsible approach in looking at all the history in the case and the fact that (Williams) had multiple appeals," Ackerman said.

In his decision, the governor noted that Williams had exhaustive state and federal appeals and had not shown remorse for the four 1979 murders he was convicted of carrying out. Williams claims he is innocent.

"This was a no-brainer for law-and-order conservative Republicans," said Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, one of the oldest and most conservative member organizations of the state GOP. "What was troubling was the long, drawn-out, highly publicized process the governor entered into."

Spence was among the activists who persuaded state Republican Party leaders to seek a meeting with Schwarzenegger later this week to discuss concerns over the Kennedy appointment. He said Schwarzenegger's clemency decision likely shielded him from further heat within the party.

"I think the problem would have come would it have gone the other way," he said.

Kareem Crayton, a professor of law and politics at the University of Southern California law school, said the governor didn't have much choice politically.

"It's just one more case in which he's found himself in a difficult position. ... For somebody who already is in a politically weak position, it's a case of avoiding doing extra harm," Crayton said. "It doesn't salvage his credibility among Republicans."

Schwarzenegger's appointment of Kennedy came just weeks after voters rejected all four of his ballot initiatives in the special election. The move was widely seen as a way for him to reclaim the bipartisan aura that made him so popular with voters during his first year in office.

But Kennedy's key role in Democratic politics over the past two decades, coupled with a resume that included heading an abortion-rights group, inflamed conservatives.

Schwarzenegger took an initial conciliatory step last week. He named a former Republican assemblyman as his new cabinet secretary and created a new position of deputy chief of staff and senior adviser for policy development, filling it with a Republican operative.

In previous weeks, Schwarzenegger had said the Williams clemency request was a very difficult one and that politics would not play a role in his decision.

While many Democrats supported clemency for Williams, political leaders said Schwarzenegger's decision isn't likely to affect his everyday dealings with state legislators when the new session begins in January.

"These are the decisions the governor has to make. That's his job," said Vince Duffy, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles. "The state of the state and the overtures that the governor makes on education and traffic-congestion relief and health care for kids, these are core issues that the Democratic majority cares about."

Steve Westly, one of two leading Democrats hoping to challenge Schwarzenegger in next year's gubernatorial race, said in a statement that he supported Schwarzenegger's decision.

"Any time you have a loss of life, it's tragic. However, I support the death penalty as it is applied in California, a state with the toughest safeguards in the nation, and I believe it will be administered fairly tonight," he said. "I respect the governor's difficult decision."

His likely opponent in the Democratic primary, state Treasurer Phil Angelides, declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate. His spokesman, Dan Newman, said Angelides backs the death penalty but could face similar decisions if he were elected next year.

One prominent Democrat said Schwarzenegger's decision could have implications for one aspect of state government - his efforts to reform the state prison system.

State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, said the decision not to grant clemency to Williams undermines the governor's call to make rehabilitation one of the prison system's missions. She had lobbied for clemency after meeting with Williams on death row.

"His sincerity and awareness of his responsibility to humanity were immense," Romero said in a statement. "I recognized that he had saved many lives through his work on gang-violence prevention, and I saw the potential he had to save many more."

Tookie never apologized or atoned for what he did.

Instead he spent 20 plus years trying to game the system.

Here is the history of a mass murderer who actually repented of his crimes, and chose to atone for them.

His name was Steven Renfro.

Steven's parents separated shortly after he was born and his father lost touch with both the mother and son for about 35 years. Steven's grandmother located Steven and reconciled him with with his father.

Steven was raised by his aunt, Rose Rutledge, near Marshall, Texas. He went to high school with Rick Berry, a Harrison County district attorney who later prosecuted Steven.

On August 25, 1996, after taking what he later told authorities were 70 doses of the tranquilizer Valium along with liquor, Steven put on camouflage clothing, blackened his face and armed himself with four guns including a military assault rifle and some 500 rounds of ammunition.

He shot and killed his live-in girlfriend, Rhena Fultner, 36, then Aunt Rose Rutledge, 63, who lived with them. Then he went to a nearby trailer home of an acquaintance, George Counts, 40, against whom he had a grudge, and fatally shot him, firing more than 150 rounds into Counts' mobile home.

When police arrived, he opened fire again, wounding Marshall police officer Dominic Pondant in the shoulder and turning his patrol car "into Swiss cheese," as authorities described it. Police were out gunned by Steven's .45 and .50 caliber handguns and an AR-15 rifle, but one of his weapons malfunctioned and officer Pondant was able to hit Steven.

He was convicted the following April and ended his trail by telling jurors he should be put to death. They agreed.

He asked that no appeals be pursued. At his execution, he apologized to the family members of the victims and said a prayer.

He was executed on February 9, 1998, after spending the second shortest time on Texas' death row.

The media and Hollywood celebrities were conspicuous by their absence.

Now, the lefties are trying to pass legislation (AB 1121) for a "moratorium" until each case can be reviewed again. This is from the text of that law, as of June 2005:

d) There are currently more than 640 inmates on death row in California, more than any other state in the country, and of those 640, more than 20 have appeals pending in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is the final procedural step before execution dates are set for those inmates whose convictions and sentences are affirmed. (e) Because of the mature state of the appeals and habeas proceedings in so many death penalty appeals, it is highly likely that prior to December 31, 2007, dozens of execution dates will be set, clemency proceedings will occur in those cases, clemency decisions will need to be made, and if clemency is not granted, executions will occur, all without the benefit of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice's findings and recommendations. (f) In light of the final and irrevocable nature of the death penalty, and to ensure that no innocent person is ever executed in this state, it is necessary to place a moratorium on executions until the work of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice is completed.

I like the world you paint. That's the type of reform they should be working toward. Instead, they will make the process even more burdensome (my predicition) by performing a 3 year study, not addressing the excessive amount of time it takes to effect justice. Note below, they make mention of "just, fair, and accurate," with no concern for timely. This was the first part of AB1121:

The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) Pursuant to Senate Resolution 44, on August 27, 2004, the Senate resolved to establish the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. (b) The California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice will study and review the administration of justice in California to determine the extent to which that process has failed in the past, resulting in wrongful executions or the wrongful conviction of innocent persons. The commission will examine ways of providing safeguards and making improvements in the way the criminal justice system functions and make any recommendations and proposals designed to further ensure that the application and administration of criminal justice in California is just, fair, and accurate. (c) The commission will be conducting its work and must complete its study and make any recommendations for reform by December 31, 2007.

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