CA: GOP group asks state party to reconsider Schwarzenegger support (CRA email included)

ap on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 12/8/05 | Tom Chorneau - ap

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A conservative faction of the California Republican Party is asking party leaders to reconsider their endorsement of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election bid next year, a reaction to his hiring of a Democratic activist as chief of staff.

The appeal was made Thursday by the California Republican Assembly, one of the oldest and most conservative member organizations of the state GOP. It cited continued unrest among volunteers that Susan Kennedy, a former aide to Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, could have such an important position in the Schwarzenegger administration.

"This should send a very strong message to the governor and the state party leadership that the grassroots volunteers are not happy," said Mike Spence, president of the Republican Assembly.

The governor appointed Kennedy, once Davis' cabinet secretary, last week, to replace Patricia Clarey. Clarey announced she would step down at the end of the year after serving Schwarzenegger since the 2003 recall election that bounced Davis from office.

Although many Republicans - including former Gov. Pete Wilson - have praised the Kennedy appointment, leaders of the state GOP also are upset about Schwarzenegger's decision. The governor has agreed to meet with the party leadership next week.

It is not clear what practical effect the statement from the Republican Assembly will have.

State Republican Party spokeswoman Karen Hanretty said the party could not consider re-evaluating its endorsement of the governor's until the next statewide convention, scheduled for February. That would be one year after the party agreed to give Schwarzenegger an early endorsement for 2006, before he had even official declared his bid for re-election.

Hanretty said that while the Republican Assembly is an important player in party politics, Schwarzenegger has yet to make any policy moves that are inconsistent with pledges he made to the party beginning in 2003.

[BillyBoy]

>> Why does it matter? The guy will still spend the rest of his life in jail. The long knives are out -- they just hate Arnold. Going off on an inconsequential lowlife prisoner is a level of political auto-erotic asphyxiation, headed toward suicide. If he doesn't support the next proposition on Teen Abortion (or, insert your own future conservative program here), then we'll have something to complain about. Until them, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. We need Arnold--he can win! /bot off <<

More 'bot spin:

"Hey! He's trying to do the right thing, unlike the Democrats If BUSTAMENTE were Governor right now, Tookie would be walking the streets! Thank GOODNESS we have a law-and-order REPUBLICAN Governor to keep him locked up until his parole hearing in 2007. You guys just hate Arnold no matter what he does. Geeeeeesh."

I'd love to see what they'd say if he "following the lead" of RINO Illinois Governor George Ryan and gave blanket amnesty to EVERY prisoner on death row (not to mention giving four of them outright release from prison). I can tell you the "George Ryan is better than any Dem" crowd here went into political meltdown after that, though a few diehard Ryan defenders proclaimed that he had no other choice than to ASSUME all the murderers were innocent, cuz they were sentenced under a "flawed system"

I'd almost feel sorry for the RINO apologists if they weren't so delusional.

[Wiseghy]

I thought that Uber Repub. Jim Brulte also favored her appointment?

[Wiseghy]

Agreed.

Pushing AS into declaring Independent would hardly serve the interests of conservatives.

[calcowgirl]

The bot spin has become so obvious that one can anticipate the argument before it even happens. Re: Ryan, please don't give them any ideas! lol.

This whole campaign to save Tookie looks exactly like a case I read about in the 1920s and 1930s (Tom Mooney). I read a bunch of articles from that time period and the propaganda campaign and protests are just as they are today. I have since learned that the campaign was organizaed by the Communist party, with support of the ACLU and National Lawyer's Guild (both communist affiliates). Surprise, surprise... those two groups are also vocal proponents for commutation of Tookies sentence. If Arnold falls for this crap, he is either completely dense, an enabler, or both.

[Amerigomag]

I thought that Uber Repub. Jim Brulte also favored her appointment?

He did, as a hired gunslinger for Schwarzenegger.

[Amerigomag]

Pushing AS into declaring Independent would hardly serve the interests of conservatives.

Yes it would. He would be ineligible to run for governor in 2006 and any replacement the CAGOP might offer would be more conservative.

A Republican gubernatorial candidate, even a mediocre one, has a good chance to win in 2006 because the declared Democrats are terrible, even in the view of liberal publications. They come from a political class the has the lowest voter confidence in years. Even lower than Schwarzenegger's.

[Old_Mil]

Would you support a new movement that would be willing to suffer for years but would be willing to begin the construction of a true conservative movement and not a watered down moderate version that seeks to straddle the fence and serves and answers to no one except a special few who run it and benefit from its actions?

I already do...