Posted on 12/08/2005 3:53:30 PM PST by SierraWasp
Angry Republicans request meeting with governor over appointment
By Tom Chorneau ASSOCIATED PRESS
5:39 p.m. December 7, 2005
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to hire a prominent Democrat as his chief of staff has sparked a growing uprising among Republican Party loyalists, who have requested a meeting with Schwarzenegger to hear him explain the choice. The governor has agreed to meet next Thursday with leaders of the California Republican Party to hear their concerns that Susan Kennedy, an aide to former Gov. Gray Davis, is now positioned to learn critical details of GOP campaign strategy and political policy.
Some Republicans said they want the governor to rescind the appointment and warn that Schwarzenegger's support in the upcoming re-election campaign could be jeopardized if their concerns are not addressed.
California Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim said he is optimistic the differences can be resolved without a major rebellion.
"Every indication is that this will be a constructive meeting," Sundheim said. "The two major things people want to understand is what her role will be in the campaign. To what extent will we be interacting with her, or will there be others that we can discuss things with? You understand that we are concerned about races other than the governor."
Rob Stutzman, the governor's communication director, said Republicans have raised legitimate concerns but added that Schwarzenegger is not inclined to consider rescinding Kennedy's appointment.
"Any elected official has the right to hire the person he believes will best help him accomplish his mission," Stutzman said. "This is not something for a political party to decide.
"There are obviously understandable concerns given Susan's work prior to coming to the administration, and that makes it a good story," he said. "But my caution to Republicans that are talking about rather drastic measures (is) they are overreacting. They should judge the governor on how he governs, and that's all that matters."
Kennedy, 45, served as cabinet secretary to Davis and campaigned for her former boss during the 2003 recall election that brought Schwarzenegger to power. She also is a former director of an abortion rights group and a former staff aide to Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Kennedy will replace Patricia Clarey, who will leave as chief of staff Jan. 1.
Clarey was deputy chief of staff to former Gov. Pete Wilson and was one of several Wilson aides who caught on with Schwarzenegger's team during the 2003 recall election.
Kennedy's appointment comes after Schwarzenegger lost badly in the November special election, seeing voters reject all four of the ballot measures he promoted.
Republican legislative leaders said they share the same concerns over Kennedy as their party leaders, but said the directors acted on their own in forcing next week's meeting with the governor.
Assembly Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield said he does not support the Kennedy appointment: "I think it is a step backward."
Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Tustin said it sent "the wrong message." Still, Ackerman said he would not ask that the appointment be rescinded.
"That's up to the governor to decide," he said.
Several Republicans said they are watching for signs that the governor has moved to the left on policy issues, some of which will arise next month. Those include the 2006-2007 budget and his State of the State speech, in which he will lay out his agenda for the coming year.
More immediately, however, is the governor's decision on a clemency appeal from condemned inmate Stanley Tookie Williams, a co-founder of the Crips gang who was convicted of murdering four people in 1979. The hearing is Thursday, and Schwarzenegger's decision is expected this weekend.
Some believe that if the governor grants clemency, it could further undermine his support from inside his own party.
"I'd be very surprised if Schwarzenegger would commute the sentence," Republican analyst Allan Hoffenblum said. "But if he did, it would certainly exacerbate his problems."
Hoffenblum said he was not sure if it would result in a call for a new nominee to represent the party next year.
"But he might find that he has lost so much of his base, he might not be able to put a winning team together," he said.
Indeed, Sundheim said the people most upset with the Kennedy appointment are those who put in the most time working for the party. Other observers said they do not view the uprising over the Kennedy appointment as a serious threat.
"This brouhaha will not hurt him in the long run," said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political scientist at the University of Southern California.
Jeffe said the biggest concerns are being raised by the party leaders, not rank-and-file members. She noted that leaders typically are those who put in the most time on the campaign and are also likely to be the party's most conservative members.
"I suspect that early on, Republicans fell into line simply to get rid of Davis," she said. "What I find astonishing is that they believed that Arnold Schwarzenegger was a conservative. He is not, never has been."
Stutzman agreed.
"This is a governor who repealed a $4 billion car tax, brought the state back from insolvency without raising taxes, fixed workers comp and helped create 425,000 new jobs," he said. "He also just got done waging a campaign on some issues that Republicans have waited years to be brought to the ballot.
"But at the end of the day, he is a centrist," Stutzman said. "He will have Republicans and Democrats around him."
The ilk herd ain't conservative.
Yup...sure got your number, liar.
"The CAGOP does not fund conservatives. Instead, they actively oppose them."
Yup, as I suspected--you got caught supporting some fringey third or fourth party candidate, and the CAGOP stopped writing checks.
Yup, just as I suspected--you don't have any answers to the specific questions I asked you in #117.
Put up or shut up. And rest assured I can and will check out any specific answers you provide.
"Put up or shut up. And rest assured I can and will check out any specific answers you provide."
Followed by passing the full information package--including all of the data you will dig up about who I am and where I live--to some of your more violent friends, no doubt.
I've played this game before, and got knifed one evening for my trouble. Your violently emotional reaction told me everything I need to know about you.
Too late. Lost that a long time ago.
Several Republicans said they are watching for signs that the governor has moved to the left on policy issues
Can he get more left?
It ain't right for a horse ta come "unglued!" Ha Ha Ha!!!
A bit paranoid are we?
"A bit paranoid are we?"
Well, if you had gotten stabbed because you let someone know about misappropriation of funds, you might be "a bit paranoid" yourself.
I apparently got in the way of someone's gravy train, and damn near died for doing so.
Cite the specific "violently emotional reaction" you allege. There isn't any.
I must say it never occurred to me you would become hysterical when asked to backup your claims. Are you always this wussy, or is it fright night at the home? Get a grip.
Please don't faint on us.
Check out #130.
checkout 129
"Cite the specific "violently emotional reaction" you allege. There isn't any."
I didn't yank your chain to begin with; you just felt the urge to insert yourself into the conversation and make all manner of demands for information that would identify me and my whereabouts. That's a pretty violent reaction in my book.
"I must say it never occurred to me you would become hysterical when asked to backup your claims."
Please post enough information about yourself that someone else can find you and arrange an ambush, and then tell me I'm being hysterical.
Nonsense.
Sorry for late reply, exams. :e
I don't look to a man based on his celebrity. Because the Governator is to the right of Cruise BustaMecha, I support his Governorship. I would definitely prefer McClintock but if enough votes were sent his way and BustaMecha wins, California would be in an even worse place than now.
From what I know of Arnold, he is definitely better than ol' Bustaputz.
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