CA: Angry GOP faithful opt for more partisan leadership

San Bernardino Sun ^ | 11/27/06 | Steven Harmon and Gary Scott

[NormsRevenge]

The bipartisan glow that swathed the state Capitol this year may give way to partisan rancor, as combative conservative Michael Villines prepares to lead Assembly Republicans in the next legislative session, political observers say.

Villines, a Clovis Republican who was raised in San Jose, seized power by riding the support of conservative lawmakers, who rejected the more accommodating leadership of former minority leader, San Diego Assemblyman George Plescia. But the move may end up marginalizing the Republican caucus.

"They've gone for a guy who was in (Gov. Arnold) Schwarzenegger's face in opposing the bond measures, and rendered themselves a little more irrelevant in the process," said Tony Quinn, co-editor of California Target Book, a nonpartisan publication that tracks the Legislature. "That's their problem. The governor will simply deal with the Democrats and when he needs six Republican votes on the budget, he'll pick them off one at a time."

Many conservative Republicans bit their tongues in the run-up to Nov. 7 elections, afraid to criticize the governor as he headed to an expected landslide victory despite their deep misgivings about his big spending and leftward leanings.

The $39 billion in bonds Schwarzenegger helped put on the ballot was bad enough, as far as they were concerned. But on his "Protecting the California Dream" campaign tour, the former action star didn't share the spotlight.

"There's a sentiment overall that the governor is only Republican when he feels like it, that he's disregarded - if not ignored - Republicans," said a GOP party insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We've all figured out that the governor only pays attention to you if he thinks that he needs you."

Schwarzenegger hardly mentioned his fellow Republicans on the statewide ticket. A few quietly hoped that a big Schwarzenegger win would provide them coattails. It didn't. In the end, only the well-funded insurance commissioner candidate, Steve Poizner, prevailed.

The results left some Republicans fuming.

"Throughout the past year, the governor repeatedly side-stepped the Republicans to place $39 billion `devil's in the details' infrastructure bonds on the ballot," wrote Assemblyman Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, in a Nov. 11 letter calling for a change in Assembly leadership.

"The governor then used his coattails to expand the state's debt, but not the ranks of Republican legislators," Huff continued. "For the past 12 months, Schwarzenegger catered to (Assembly Speaker Fabian) Nunez and (L.A. Mayor Antonio) Villaraigosa while he abandoned Senator (Tom) McClintock and the rest of the Republican ticket."

Jonathan Wilcox, a former speechwriter for ex-Gov. Pete Wilson, said Republican frustration stems from season after season of defeat at the statewide level, a redistricting map that gives Republicans little chance of gaining seats in the Legislature, and an inability to exploit Schwarzenegger's popularity.

"I fully understand these sour grapes," Wilcox said. "But can they really say they are surprised? Schwarzenegger is a totally unconventional politician. It shouldn't be a surprise that he took a completely unconventional path to re-election."

Jim Brulte, a former Assembly Republican Leader and a key architect of the Poizner campaign, said Republican anger simply ignores the reality that California is a solidly blue state.

"Frankly, there are a lot of Republicans who do not fully understand that this is a state - all things being equal - that wants to vote Democrat," Brulte said. "They continue to posture on the far right without recognizing that, should you be lucky enough to get every Republican vote, you're still about 19 percent short of being elected statewide."

Republicans are in the minority - they hold only 32 of the 80 seats in the Assembly - and generally are only able to influence legislation on taxes and budgets when a two-thirds vote is needed.

Plescia had only one term left, while Villines, 39, a former advance staffer for Wilson and an ex-chief of staff for term-limited state Sen. Chuck Poochigian, has two more two-year terms remaining. That will allow for more leadership continuity, Republicans said.

More importantly, Republicans said, Villines has displayed the kind of stiff resolve that conservatives believed Plescia lacked. Considered a social and fiscal conservative, Villines voted against last year's budget and fiercely opposed the infrastructure bond measures. Villines, who represents a conservative San Joaquin County district, wrote the official argument against the $19.9 billion transportation bond initiative.

Plescia, 40, served as GOP leader for only seven months, finding himself thrust into the center of complex negotiations over the budget and bond measures when his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, stepped down to run for Congress. Plescia became the object of ridicule after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides' campaign leaked an audio tape in which Schwarzenegger's chief of staff Susan Kennedy likened Plescia to "the deer that keeps getting caught in my yard when I leave the gate open."

Some Republicans say that, more than a shift to the right, the caucus wanted to put the embarrassing incident, which reinforced how irrelevant they had been last year, behind them.

Democrats are bracing for a return to more legislative logjam after a season of relative cooperation, said Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Nunez, D-Los Angeles.

Schwarzenegger will just have to work that much harder to get what he wants, said Jack Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.

"The governor spent 2006 doing outreach to Democrats, so he may now have to do some outreach with Republicans as well," Pitney said.

[CottShop]

agreed-

[Carry_Okie]

God forbid that an opposition party should... oppose something.

The horror.

[capydick]

combative conservative

seized power

rejected the more accommodating leadership of former minority leader

marginalizing the Republican caucus.

It must be real easy to be a journalist in Calyfornia as long as you use the right verb to noun ration.

[goldstategop]

The Governator doesn't have to worry. He'll buy off a couple of Republicans. sarcasm>

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Luke21]

What a loaded up piece of propaganda this is, using words like "angry" and "partisan," which means the GOP may stand up to the libs and needs to be vilified.

[calcowgirl]

Jim Brulte, a former Assembly Republican Leader and a key architect of the Poizner campaign, said Republican anger simply ignores the reality that California is a solidly blue state.

What a bunch of cr@p. The Recall election was WON by someone calling themselves a REPUBLICAN and promoting a FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE platform (which has now been abandoned in its entirety).

"Frankly, there are a lot of Republicans who do not fully understand that this is a state - all things being equal - that wants to vote Democrat," Brulte said. "They continue to posture on the far right without recognizing thatshould you be lucky enough to get every Republican vote, you're still about 19 percent short of being elected statewide."

If the Governor and the CAGOP would have supported the down-ticket candidates instead of working to defeat them, it would have made the difference. Arnold spent $40 million. Poizner spent $13 million. McClintock spent less than $3 million. When the 'leader' of the party criticizes the candidate publicly and starves them of cash and the limelight, they will lose. No surprise there.

[AVNevis]

Bookmark for later.

[AVNevis]

Wow this isn't a biased headline, is it? :)

No, REpublicans did not opt for more partisanship. If Democrats want to join in cutting wasteful spending and restoring fiscal solvency to Sacramento, I'm sure Villines will be more than happy to work with them. It just so happens that only members of one party seem to support these things.

[NormsRevenge]

I believe Mr. Brulte was one of the authors of the state's attempt at, or should I say debacle that tried, deregulating energy in this state, we all know how well that turned out.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=jim+brulte+energy+deregulation+california&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8

So long, Jim. You are not missed nor is your "expertise".