Posted on 11/29/2005 7:31:53 PM PST by ElkGroveDan
Arnold to tap major Democrat to be his Chief of Staff
by Jon Fleischman - Publisher
11-29-2005 6:02 pm
The rule of six (if I hear at least six credible people tell me something, then as a confirmed rumor, I run with it) has struck again. I previously reported on rumors that Pat Clarey, the Governor's Chief of Staff (and a loyal Republican) would be stepping aside after the special election. Read that story here.
Well, apparently the Governor has decided to name Susan Kennedy as his Chief of Staff.
I am sure that if this plays out, Kennedy will be vetted by many who know her well. I can only judge her political ideology based on her resume, which includes these highlights (seriously, I am NOT making this up):
Kennedy has spent nearly the last three years as Gray Davis' appointee to the State Public Utilities Commission. Before that, she was a Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary for the infamously recalled Governor. (Kennedy's resume on the PUC website boasts that she was responsible for 'development of $100 billion state budget)
Before working for Gray Davis, Kennedy served as Communications Director and a senior staff member to Democrat United States Senator Dianne Feinstein (where, according to her own resume, she assisted the Senator with the development of legislation and policy initiatives...).
This next paragraph is straight from her resume (how could I improve on this):
Kennedy previously served as Executive Director of the California Democratic Party and as Executive Director of the California Abortion Rights Action League. She managed two of the most successful Get-Out-The-Vote campaigns in recent California history, including the 1992 Coordinated Campaign for Clinton/Gore and the 1998 Coordinated Campaign that elected Governor Gray Davis.
Right now I am a little bit shocked by this 'confirmed rumor' - actually, I would call it a 'very confirmed rumor' at this point.
I am not sure how Governor Schwarzenegger expects Republicans to react to this appointment. This is not an appointment to some peripheral position in his administration. The Chief of Staff is the most central role on the Governor's entire staff.
I think it would be premature to comment on a rumor, even a 'very confirmed' one at this point. But you can be sure that there will be a lot of questions, frustrations, concern and anger from the base if this turns out to be true.
While Republicans are not a majority in California by a long shot, there are still many million of us out here. It doesn't seem plausible that there was not one person who could ably serve in this capacity who agrees with the Governor's general philosophy enough to register in the same political party as he does.
Well, let's see how this plays out...
Jon
PS: I will offer an open invitation to any and all, whether in the administration, or friends thereof, or friends of Susan Kennedy (or Ms. Kennedy herself if this reaches her) to reach out to me, and help me understand why this appointment should not be interpreted as the big kiss-off to the GOP base.
"Tell that to 99% of Republicans in the State."
Tell 99% of Republicans in California to vote next time around.
Maybe Arnie's people should have done that?
I thought that was their job....being in power and all...
Maybe we should take up a collection and buy Arnie a sign for his desk:
"The buck never stops here!"
"Maybe Arnie's people should have done that?"
Nope.
"I thought that was their job....being in power and all..."
You mean that you need the GOVERNMENT to tell you to vote?
OK, I guess you're a liberal, then.
Those measures lost because Arnold wrongly tried to get them in traditionally low turn-out off-time election after stimulating campaign rage in well organized union activist units all over the state. They already had their battle plan in place from the June 1998 Primary Election where they defeated Prop 226, a nearly identical measure!!!
You guys are really starting to make yourselves look kinda uninformed by pushing that "New Republican Majority" spin-o-rama against CA conservatives in all it's glorious wrongness!!! Get a grip and check out the facts before you go off the deep end next time, ok???
Why didn't Republicans bother to vote? Are California Republicans too stupid to know what's good for the state without the Governor coming around to personally beat some sense into them?
Uhmmm...no.
But it is the job of Party leaders, like Schwarzeneggar and his hacks, to get out the vote.
They failed, and now they, and you, are looking for scapegoats.
All in the service of trying to justify the hiring of a flaming Leftist Dem kook to run the Executive branch of state government...
It's crazy.
"But it is the job of Party leaders, like Schwarzeneggar and his hacks, to get out the vote."
Oh, you mean that the merits of the ballot propositions are not enough, you need someone else to tell you to vote for them?
Good God Almighty, there are some really stupid people out there...
BTW, I'm not "justifying" it. I'm just not pretending that I was "betrayed."
Arnold's just returning the favor he got earlier this month. If you don't like it, consider getting out of politics and any other contact sports you can think of.
Blaming the voters is for losers.
Doesn't matter if 'I like it'.
The Governor has done the deed.
He's returned to the policies of his predecessor.
Personnel IS policy...
"Blaming the voters is for losers."
If the voters are going to accept the responsibility for directly determining what state law is (i.e., the initiative process), then they can take the blame when they screw up, just like I blame politicians for bad laws THEY pass.
Yup, personnel is policy.
California made it extremely clear what kind of policy they wanted on 11/8/05.
Vox populi, vox Dei.
Liberals always learn the wrong lessons from history.
You are right, of course.
We have a very immature electorate, who need courting and tweeking ever so much to get them in the mood.
Maybe there should be a purple finger incentive.
Good luck trying to explain that to people who'd rather spend their hours railing about who or what is a "real" conservative. Been there. Been there for many years.
These propositions were the opportunity for change that conservatives keep whining for and they didn't show, so they were all lost.
I used to know what I thought CA conserv/Repubs wanted. I was smack dab in the middle of a brawl between two pals fighting over Mr. Parsky, years back. I wanted them to both shut up and get to work. But instead it turned into a battle of the "genuine" vision thing. CA Dems have been chasing "business" out of CA for going on 15 years now. We know what the "agenda" in doing that is, and so Arnold offered some proposition which would put a ding into that, in a way, that some just can't see. There's just no pleasing some people, A CA Guy. Thanks for listening to my rant here. I knew this frustration there, and I know it yet in re CA. Government will continue to grow in CA. Private business will continue its decline. This past "special election" gave voters the choice of which they choose -- work for unions or rebuild the economy and base.
Let me tell you what I tell people here in NC... they love Los Angeles. I say, that's good. They fear San Francisco. I say, that's wise. The last bastion of voting "sanity" remains in the south State and along the eastern borders of CA.
Every conservative/Repub should *live* in the SF Bay Area, awhile -- they'd never not vote for their guy, and his special initiatives, ever again.
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