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."
If you keep whackin' your brane like that, there won't be anything left! ;-)
ooops... you said wrakin'. LOL.
This poll sucks. 'Yes' could mean either "Save tookie and you're gone!" OR "Don't Save tookie and you're gone!" There has to be a better avenue than this. If I get this poll, I'd say "WTF?!", throw it away, and do whatever I feel is right.
That could be good or bad.
His choice proves what many suspect. He is a full-on liberal Democrat.
They have an email comment option that I used to criticize their vague question! You should do it too!!!
Ha Ha Ha!!! Love your tagline!!!
I don't know about youse guys, but I think it's long overdue for a "major rebellion!"
Commutation of Tookie's sentence and a leftward Supreme Court appointee could do it--whether we're ready, or not.
Wow... that would be a stretch for your Waspish waist. And hell on your stinger!
But yours on Perot was really on target. Good analysis.
Would that get them to change the poll in time?
Direct contact is better. You could also ask for an explanation of the appointees. I think a lot of people are jumping the gun.
I am a college student trying to get a job. Long before I make my way into politics, (maybe even after that) I will be working for Liberals and have liberals working for me.
I don't care if Arnold appoints moron.orge lunatics as his staff. If he governs to the right of Grayout and Cruz BustaMecha and keeps the liberal trolls under him in line, that's all that is needed.
I've gone on record at this site stating that I believe the Democratic Party will soon splinter. Read The Splintering of the Democratic Party and tell me if you think I've called this one correctly.
I hope they splinter into 7897846237623502327935625 pieces with no hope of reuniting. Then we could cleanse the liberal filth in our country and have a solid Republic again.
Then the real debate can begin between the moderates, neo-cons, paleo-cons, libertarians, Christo-cons and whatever political party we want. who cares, we'll be freer anyway. :)
Do tell. Exactly what did it prove?
Can't wait to see how the RINO-lovers explain this one.
It proved the RINOs learned absolutely nothing from their mistakes.
"The GOP better run someone against him in the primaries."
They effectively did. Named Tom McClintock. Lost.
He has governed more conservatively than expected by his critics on the right.
He has attempted getting fiscal affairs straightened out, making some progress.
OTOH the California Republican party has made zero headway getting candidates elected, or anything in recent memory.
So I ask in return: What has the California GOP accomplished?
(In the special election for the Propositions, it is generally conceded the democrats did a BETTER job on voter turnout, than the California GOP. Was this intentional, to undermine Arnold, as an "outsider" who challenged their cozy little minority?).
I'm NOT seeing that! Where are you seeing that? Huh?
It's not the liberal Trolls I'm worried about! It's the liberal judges he's appointing that think they make the laws instead of the legislature, or the people!!!
You better git both eyes open, there young pup!!!
Didn't have to wait long, did you? From your Reply #75, to Reply #77!!! (Oh! And the others calling non-RINO's "political imbeciles," etc.)
Shush! You're disturbing my bait.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.