Wilson's top adviser helped turn recall tide (Bob White)

Sac Bee ^ | 10/27/03 | Aurelio Rojas

[NormsRevenge]

He was former Gov. Pete Wilson's closest aide for 28 years and helped steady Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign after it got off to a faltering start.

Bob White, 61, who served as the campaign's chief of staff, is now playing a vital role in shaping Schwarzenegger's administration. If White's name doesn't register with the public, it's by design.

[NormsRevenge]

"There are very few people left who actually understand that A, there is a code and B, what it is," said Richie Ross, a veteran Democratic Party operative. "It's these unspoken, unwritten rules that people of his and my generation were all groomed under. He knows the code, he's one of us."

[Amerigomag]

I hope this is beginingg to trouble the Republican loyalits on this forum who were brazenly outspoken in their support of Schwarzenegger as an outsider with no ties to special interests who could ram some common sense down the throats of California's political elite.

Well folks the insideres are back inside and now in the control of a rather moderate to liberal activist (Schwarzenegger) backed by a collection of politcal insiders ranging from the type example of the corrupted politician (Willie Brown) to the corrupting lobbists (White, Clarey and Flanigan).

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Well there is 2006.

First we had to stop the bleeding!

[Amerigomag]

First we had to stop the bleeding!

Depends on the definition of bleeding. Were we bleeding from out spending wound or our taxing wound or both?

Schwarenegger isn't likely to effectively address the spending wound since he is part of the problem (Prop 49) and not part of the solution. A reminder that a spending cap doesn't stop or more importantly reduce the spending.

Neither is he likely to stop the bleeding from the taxing wound. His best effort has been to promise to resist any attempts to increase taxes. I've nothing from him in regard to reducing personal income taxes or consumption taxes. I've only heard about reducing business costs so that we could "continue our programs".

[FairOpinion]

Are you guys still crying, because Davis and Bustamante were defeated? It sure sounds like it.

Apparently you both would have been much happier, if White hadn't joined the Schwarzenegger campaign, and Bustamante had won, right?

[NormsRevenge]

I just posted it and an excerpt, no additional comments, but yours speak volumes. (btw, How's your agenda running lately 8-?)

The illustration the article paints speaks for itself.

These pikers ran against Big Govt and they are it, the ultimate insiders.

Cast your lots with who you may. The ends does not justify the means. Hiram would not approve, imo.

[Amerigomag]

I hope this is begining to trouble the Republican loyalits

Guess not

[DoctorZIn]

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[daviddennis]

I think you're awfully quick to judge. The poor guy hasn't even taken office yet, and you're already saying his administration is a no-hoper.

If I were Arnold, I would be doing pretty much what he's doing now. Because he's new to politics, he has to be guided by people who understand how the game is played. And because he's a Republican in a state with a Legislature full of Democrats, he needs to charm them and make them realize he's not an ogre, but someone they should talk to.

If you remember, George W Bush did the same thing when he started. He had meetings with everyone and went on a charm offensive. And he's successfully pushed the two major components of his program that are relevent in a post 9/11 world: support of the military and tax cuts to prop up the economy.

One of the major facts of life in a legislature is that you can sometimes make it work with the sheer force of personality. If people like you, they are more likely to vote for your program.

Arnold has hired a Chief of Staff recommended by his friend White. White knows everyone, so he can give Arnold some sound recommendations. By all accounts, the Chief of Staff he selected is highly competent, hard-working and not involved in selecting policy, just implementing it.

It seems to me Arnold's doing well and appointing good people. I'm not sure where this funeral dirge is coming from. In articles focusing on Arnold, it's very clear that Arnold is his own man and disagrees with many things his advisors tell him. Until he does something truly alarming, I'm inclined to at least give him a chance, without making snarky remarks against him.

If Arnold does something truly bad, I'll be first in line to criticise him. But it seems to me you folks (referring specifically to the first two people on my list) are judging him before he's even had a chance to operate!

Let's at least give him the benefit of the doubt until he assumes office and starts playing the role. No pun intended, of course :-).

D

[NormsRevenge]

I agree, He hasn't even been sworn in yet. I'll give him all the time he needs to enact reasonable, even-handed solutions to long-time political problems.


However,


It's not just about "him". Slowly, the system is being co-opted and bought out by special interests, imo.

I posted the article as it may assist in knowing who's connected to who and for how long and for who much, etc.

The lobbyists (and trial lawyers) seem to have become the 6th Estate, imo .. elitism, can we afford it?

[Amerigomag]

Let's at least give him the benefit of the doubt until he assumes office

Just like Bob Mulholland I'm willing to give him 100 days. That's about the end of February. By that time the budget should in, the driver's licsense referendum qualified for the March election and the state compensation insurance program reformed.

[daviddennis]

At that time, I would give him bonus points if he got a satisfactory modification to the Drivers' License law passed.

To me, this would be a separate document that would simply give someone the right to drive, without giving them a right of citizenship or to vote.

It's possible that more research might be necessary to reform the state compensation insurance plan. I would probably give him another month for this.

I would consider his first 100 days a success if he passes a budget with no new taxes, and that it does not add debt to what already exists. (Restructuring the existing debt is OK).

I suspect both of those things will happen, and in that case I will consider it a success.

If he winds up raising taxes, or incurring additional debt beyond what is already in the past, I'd say we have a big problem.

But in the mean time, why don't we have a moratorium on snarky comments against him? It's fine to say that I think this or that was a bad move, but to say "Okay, guys, you should now admit Arnold's gonna be lousy" is simply unfair. I'd really like to discourage such talk.

Let's give the guy a chance.

Thoughts?

D

[Amerigomag]

Thoughts?

Immediately support the referendum on SB60. If the legislation is squelshed, work to pass legislation that precludes any priviledges to illegal aliens including standing in state litigation.

Simply adopting existing state comp regs from other states would solve 90% of the problems immediately. The rest can be studied and litigated to death. 60 days tops.

Make the cuts. No extraconstitutional, longer term, financing schemes to pay for past exherberances. We don't use our credit cards to buy groceries and we aren't permitted to print money. 18 months of "painful" reality to people who took more than their share these past few years is a no brainer compared to increasing the debt and making our children suffer for our collective sins for far longer than 18 months.

Increased taxes are inevitable unless the executive has the courage to cut spending (not simply reduce future spending increases) for the sacred cows (young, elderly, disabled, government employees and the "less fortunate"). The executive probably won't, although it's in the executive's ability to do so, and there will be new taxes. When that happens I expect the pragmatists and party loyalist to shut up and take their lumps rather than spin, spin, spin.