Posted on 11/03/2004 9:29:28 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's failure to make a dent in the Democrats' big majorities in the California Legislature, despite extensive campaigning for Republicans in key districts, could make it tougher for him to enact his agenda.
"By and large, I think it's clear that the Democrats in the Legislature have nothing to fear from the governor and they can deal with him as equals, as we did this year," Senate President Pro Tem John Burton said Wednesday.
"That club is not there," he added, referring to the threat that Democrats in marginal districts could lose their seats if they didn't go along with the Republican governor.
Fending off tough Republican challenges in eight swing districts, Democrats kept 48 of 80 Assembly seats and 25 of 40 Senate seats - the same numbers they have now.
Schwarzenegger made campaign appearances for all eight of those GOP contenders but failed to sway voters.
"It's clear that the coattails are not there," said Burton, a San Francisco Democrat who will be termed out of the Legislature at the end of the month. "He said, 'Send me people to get my program through,' and (voters) said, 'No, we'll send you people to get our program through.'"
Schwarzenegger said he was successful because Democrats didn't gain any more seats. Republicans tend to lose seats in presidential election years, he added, although Republicans picked up Assembly seats in 1960, 1964, 1968, 1980 and broke even in 1992.
"That's why I'm very happy that our campaign was successful, very happy we kept the Republican seats, the amount," he said. "The big fear that everyone had (was) 'Uh, oh, another presidential year and we're going to lose seats.' So I said that I would help them (so) that would not happen."
He said he campaigned for Republicans, not against Democrats.
"This is not my style," he added. "I didn't go out and say anything nasty about anyone. I never even mentioned their names."
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said Democrats would support Schwarzenegger "on issues that are popular with voters ... issues that our members agree with."
"There is no question that Californians approve of the governor," he said. "They support his work, and they think he is doing a good job. But one message I think they also sent yesterday is they don't want the Legislature to be a rubber stamp of the governor."
Nunez said Democratic candidates helped themselves by focusing on "kitchen table issues" that most voters embrace - raising the minimum wage, stopping the offshoring of jobs, reducing prescription drug prices and protecting the environment and consumer rights.
"We ran against the governor in all of these legislative races," Nunez said. "Make no mistake about it, the governor played a vital role. He was in mailers, he was on the phone, he made multiple appearances for different Republican candidates and they didn't win. They didn't pick up any more seats."
He said he wanted to sit down with Schwarzenegger and try to negotiate deals that would lower prescription prices, authorize driver's licenses for illegal immigrants and keep emergency rooms open.
"We will continue to work with the governor, as we always have," Nunez said. "Are we going to capitulate to the governor? I don't think we have ever capitulated to the governor."
that stem cell prop was pretty expensive!
Yes... I agree... He's very trying!!!
That is what he says he is. I have yet to see it.
Even the awful embryonic stem cell measure passed. But CA is too nice. It's beautiful country. You can't run to the 'red states'. People are going to have to take CA back.
Didn't we just borrow 15 Bil, cause we were bankrupt?
Same old tired lefty tripe! And Arnold still couldn't get these people to quit majoring in the minors or get anybody elected that will major in majors!!!
Maybe Bush will send in the 82nd Airborne. We need GOP regime change here for sure.
There are kool-aid drinkers here. Unfortunately, they are also the voters who happen to living in the vote-rich areas.
That's not true at all! John and Ken interviewed the billionaire on KFI tonight that arranged the defeat of that measure!! Arnold just lent his face and verbage!!!
That man's story is "fantastic!" Much more so than Arnold's!!! (I just wish I could remember his name! Can anybody help me with that? He didn't sleep for two weeks and spent millions of non-taxdeductible bucks on commercials!)
He did? What about Propostion 71?
Oh, that's right, bonds aren't taxes or spending... and $6 Billion isn't that much. /s
Yeah, I hear 'em sipin that stuff!
"vote rich areas"
Yeah, I moved out here to the Sierra-Nevada mountain range to get away from their congestion and what did they do with their rich votes, but put my land into a stupid GANG-GREEN land-grabbing CONservancy with Arnold's ignorant help!!!
I'm never gonna stop bein pist about it either!!!
You got it.
The California Republicans are like a bad sports franchise (take your pick), they lose, lose and lose until losing becomes acceptable and expected. They expect to lose so they no longer fight to win.
The Party in California needs to start fighting from the ground up. There are there are those that will. I just watched a bunch of people working their butts off dialing for votes in the hopeless cause of the Bay Area.
A waste of time, but they did it. Day in, day out for the last month.
Get the primadonna's with the losing attitudes who know you can't win in California - and who now control the party apparatus - out of the way. They are losers. Get rid of them. Then get some men and women who don't like losing and won't be afraid to roll up their sleeves and go to work. Start recruiting a small army of footsoldiers, like Peggy Noonan's "rag-tag band of volunteers (in other states this election), who fought like Washington's troops at Valley Forge".
It will take leadership. It will take time. It won't be easy. But it can be done. Yesterday proved that.
So we should celebrate that he "won" Prop 71 increasing the state liability by $6 Billion? Or that he alone can approve Indian Gaming expansion (at rates equiv to those proposed in Prop 70), with no checks and balances? BTW, he didn't "win" the Open Primary proposition that he endorsed... thank goodness.
But Ahnold killed 66, (the three-strikes water-down), single-handedly-- it just barely missed.
I am happy this didn't pass and happy Arnold supported it, but "Single-handedly"? LOL. Yep... Mr. Tough-on-Crime:
CA: Easing up on killers (The Pardonator)
Republican Schwarzenegger, in office less than 12 months, has approved 60 parole recommendations from the state Board of Prison Terms for convicts guilty of the most serious crimes. That makes him, on average, 50 times more lenient than Davis.
How can you take him serious about the deficit when he campaigned for adding $3-4 billion more to it ? I think Arnie is a joke and should go back to doing what he does best, acting.
These guys try so hard to cover for AS and you come along and literally yank all of his covers right off his naked well oiled and musclebound body!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!
Oh now I want to barf.
keep3strikes.org
This guy: Henry T. Nicholas III?
I don't, and never did. He's a liberal masquerading as a Republican. There isn't a conservative bone in the man's body... yet the cheerleaders still cheer... and the state goes bankrupt.
That's what amazes me. This guy could appoint RFK jr. to head the Cal-EPA, and they would be trying to make the case that it was PURE GENIUS by Arnold. The facts are building everyday... and the case continues to weaken. History will prove them wrong. I just hope there is something left of the state by that time.
ROFL!
What can I say, I go for the nerds!
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