Posted on 12/03/2005 11:25:15 AM PST by Kenny Bunk
Top California Republicans are wondering if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is moving left politically following his appointment to chief of staff of Susan Kennedy – a leading liberal activist and former aide to Democrat Gov. Gray Davis.
"We're not moving anywhere," Schwarzenegger says, insisting that he is continuing to go "in the same direction."
Some of his Republican colleagues wonder what direction that may be.
"I'm getting more e-mails off of this [the Kennedy appointment] than I do for Viagra," said Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, in an interview with the L.A. Times newspaper.
"Since the special election, where we were very loyal [to Schwarzenegger], all we've heard about was a $50 billion bond and looking at clemency for [convicted murderer and gang leader Stanley] Tookie Williams." Asking if there isn't "even one Republican in the state to be qualified as chief of staff?" Spence said. "I think the Kennedy thing was just the last straw."
What especially irks GOP leaders is Kennedy’s popular standing among California liberals. She is a former executive director of the state's ultra-left-wing Democratic Party, a former top member of former Gov. Gray Davis’ staff and - to the chagrin of advocates of traditional values - an abortion supporter and admitted lesbian who recently "married” her lover in a Hawaiian civil union ceremony.
GOP officials aren't alone in their criticism of the appointment, as Schwarzenegger discovered during a radio talk-show appearance with conservative host Roger Hedgecock on San Diego's KOGO radio station.
Said Hedgecock "You have once again stirred up everyone in the whole state with this announcement. This woman seems completely incompatible with any Republican principles."
Not so, said the governor, who described Kennedy as a pro-business moderate who had supported him on all of his doomed special-election ballot initiatives, including one which was fiercely opposed by Democrats because it would have put a limit on spending.
"All of the things that I have done in the last two years she believes in and actually said many times to me during the last two years that she has become a big fan of mine because of the things that I do," he told Hedgecock.
While admitting that some Republicans will be "up in arms about" the Kennedy appointment, Schwarzenegger told his host "but I have to pick someone that I feel comfortable with. And I talked to a lot of people for this job, and she was the one who I felt most comfortable with." Not every Republican is appalled at the Governor's choice. Pat Dando, president and chief executive officer of the San Jose-Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce told the San Jose Mercury News:
"I would hope that they would look at her as an individual with qualifications that are important to do the job of chief of staff." He added that Schwarzenegger "appears to be more interested in finding well-qualified individuals to work with him on both sides of the aisle than sticking to a party line, and I think that's healthy."
This is simply the most egregious case of a tendency that GOP elected officials often display. They surround themselves with operatives of the far left, ignoring good solid Republican office-seekers with excellent credentials... like me.
Why imagine that muscle-head would be any different than the GOP lawmakers sent to DC, who staff their offices with a revolving-door cast of DC characters who are uniformly gay, Democrat, and hell-bent on sabotaging their Democrat friends back into office as soon as humanly possible? E.G. With cheap tricks like processing a Presidential Award for Tookie.
Dick Cheney and the Scooter also come to mind. Surprise, surprise when leaks to their leftist allies in the MSM undermine crucial policy.
Do these finks actually think Ted Kennedy, or any other top Democrat, has any Republican sympathizers on his staff? If Ahnolt thinks he was elected so a queer abortion advocate with a history of agitprop for far-left causes could run his office, those steroids did more harm to his swelled head than anyone may have previously imagined.
Newsflash! These Democrat appointees have more power on a day-to-day basis than the stupid Republicans who appoint them. Why just hand it to them?
Is California even governable anymore?
See any calls to change the Constitution lately?
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/13300037.htm
"She's a very important key to being able to sit down with the Democrats," said Leon Panetta, the former chief of staff to President Clinton, who consulted with the Schwarzenegger administration on how to restructure the governor's office. "That can really make the difference for this governor as he goes into this next year."
"Schwarznegger Appoints Far-Left Radical Democrat Lesbian Abortion Advocate"....
What did he leave out here? Sheeesh. So much for the posibility of presidential aspirations, put a fork in him.
The Governor of Californistan better not grant clemency to Tookie Williams or he will receive no republican votes next year.
As much as I dislike the appointment, using the correct title would have been nice.
Kinda says it all don't it? He's not moving left, he has ALWAYS BEEN LEFT!!!
When the guy said, "We're not moving anywhere", he should have stopped right there and he would have at least been telling the truth.
Have you seen the latest judges he just appointed? Los Angeles didn't need any help moving further left.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1533409/posts
I can't wait to see who he picks to replace Janice Roger Brown. That shoe should drop pretty soon.
However, good article from The Mercury, quite informative and showed good balanced reporting. Thanks for the post!
>>A social conservative, he ain't.
Nor does he have a fiscally conservative bone in his body, contrary to his campaign promises.
But is she a smoker?
I'm sure all you California conservatives are glad you voted for Ahnold rather than Tom, because the former "could win."
A terrorist midget. That's it.
One day this has all got to catch up with California. In the mean time, people keep moving in like the Gold Rush was still on. Is there something we don't know about besides the climate?
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