Posted on 07/08/2007 10:04:47 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO – During the 2003 recall that thrust him into office, Arnold Schwarzenegger accused then-Gov. Gray Davis of mismanagement and hinted that he was corrupt.
But when his administration has needed expertise or become embroiled in political trouble, Schwarzenegger hasn't hesitated to hire top officials who worked for Davis, a Democrat.
Last week the Republican governor selected Mary Nichols, a former chief environmental aide to Davis, as chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board to try to calm the controversy over his firing of the state's top air-quality regulator.
Nichols is one of at least six key players in the Schwarzenegger administration who served under Davis. These include Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy; senior adviser Daniel Zingale, who serves as chief of staff to first lady Maria Shriver; and Linda Adams, secretary of environmental protection.
These Democrats aren't just window dressing.
Kennedy, hired by Schwarzenegger in 2005 near the low point in his popularity as governor, is credited with helping turn around his administration and vastly improving his political fortunes.
Other former Davis staffers play critical roles in carrying out Schwarzenegger's priorities, which include fighting global warming, enacting universal health coverage and protecting the environment.
Schwarzenegger's reliance on so many Democrats, combined with his bipartisan approach to picking judges, is unprecedented in at least the past 30 years of California history.
“There's never been a situation like this in recent years where a governor from one party relies so much on people from the other party,” said Tony Quinn, co-editor of the Target Book, which analyzes California politics.
Schwarzenegger's representatives say his hiring policies reflect his “postpartisan” governing style. He doesn't care about party labels, they contend, but merely selects the best person.
“The governor hires people based on their skill level and their talent,” said Adam Mendelsohn, communications director for Schwarzenegger. “When they are here, they are here to work for Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Republican activists, however, are outraged.
Conservative blogger Jon Fleischman called the selection of Nichols a “stiletto jammed between the ribs of every Republican, conservative or moderate, who walked precincts, donated money or worked for the re-election of Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
On his FlashReport blog, Fleischman wrote that the appointment of Nichols is an “alarming statement about a Schwarzenegger administration that is tripping over itself to move way past center and embrace the left wing enviro-activist agenda.”
On the other side, Democrats and environmentalists criticized Schwarzenegger for firing Nichols' predecessor, Bob Sawyer, saying it was a sign that the governor was retreating from his commitment to protect air quality.
Quinn said he believes Schwarzenegger's appointment of Democrats shows that the California Republican Party is becoming increasingly isolated from its governor.
“Schwarzenegger is a bright guy,” Quinn said. “He's figured out that the Republican Party isn't relevant to where the state is going.”
While Schwarzenegger is careful to praise Republican legislators, his relationship with them is increasingly contentious.
Last year he made deals with Democrats who control the Legislature on a variety of topics, including raising the minimum wage and fighting greenhouse gases. Those bills received almost no GOP support.
This year, Republican lawmakers have offered the harshest criticism of the governor's ambitious proposal to provide health insurance to all Californians. They contend it contains a tax increase – the governor calls it a fee – that would burden businesses.
Democrats, by contrast, have praised his health proposal and are actively negotiating with him to reach a compromise.
Schwarzenegger's appointment of Democrats reflects the friction between the governor and his fellow Republicans, said Garry South, who served as the top political adviser to Davis.
“It's a recognition that the Republicans in the Assembly and the Senate do things to undermine his administration at every turn,” he said.
South said the appointment of so many former Davis staff members shows that the Davis administration contained “lots of talented people.”
He pointed out that the former Davis aides now working for the Republican governor generally have reputations as moderates.
“These are all mainstream people,” South said. “These are not liberal ideologues.”
During the Davis administration, he said, Kennedy, a lesbian, was sometimes sent to talk down legislators who wanted to go further than Davis did on gay rights by extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.
“There were times in the Davis administration when Susan Kennedy was the most conservative person in the room,” South said.
Kennedy's pro-business leanings were on display during her service on the Public Utilities Commission. Her vote to suspend the telecommunications consumer bill of rights drew heavy criticism from consumer groups and praise from business representatives.
Besides appointing several key Democrats from the Davis administration, Schwarzenegger has also differed from his predecessors by taking a bipartisan approach to picking judges.
Of the 260 judicial appointments made by Schwarzenegger, 55 percent are Republicans, 35 percent are Democrats and 10 percent decline to state, according to figures from the Schwarzenegger administration.
Still, Schwarzenegger's aides point out that the governor has appointed mostly Republicans to staff positions, boards and commissions. When all his appointments are combined, 53 percent have gone to Republicans and 31 percent to Democrats, according to the administration.
Besides bashing Davis during the recall campaign, Schwarzenegger also promised a new style of governing that would include Californians of all political parties.
Out of his top seven government aides, four are Republicans and three are Democrats, including Zingale, who is chief of staff to Shriver, a Democrat. Zingale is one of three former Davis aides who helped shape Schwarzenegger's health care proposal.
His aides say the diverse background of these advisers helps Schwarzenegger avoid the isolation that comes from hearing one perspective all the time.
“He likes to have people give him advice from different viewpoints so he can make decisions that are best for Californians,” said Mendelsohn.
Mendelsohn said the 2003 recall election is irrelevant to Schwarzenegger's hiring practices.
“The people of California recalled Gray Davis,” Mendelsohn said, “they didn't recall his staff.”
Susan Kennedy
Chief of staff Deputy chief of staff
Daniel Zingale
Senior adviser; chief of staff to first lady Maria Shriver
Cabinet secretary; director of Department of Managed Care
Linda Adams
Secretary for environmental protection
Chief deputy legislative secretary
Mary Nichols
Chairwoman, California Air Resources Board
Natural Resources secretary
Herb Shultz
Health policy adviser
Deputy director, Department of Managed Care
Richard Figueroa
Health policy adviser
Deputy legislative secretary for health policy
SOURCES: GOVERNOR'S OFFICE; UNION-TRIBUNE
--- ---
GOVERNOR'S JUDGES: BY THE NUMBERS 260: Total number appointed
144: Republicans
90: Democratic
26: Decline to state
SOURCE: Governor's office
Schwarzenegger's representatives say his hiring policies reflect his “postpartisan” governing style. He doesn't care about party labels, they contend, but merely selects the best person.
“The governor hires people based on their skill level and their talent,” said Adam Mendelsohn, communications director for Schwarzenegger. “When they are here, they are here to work for Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
"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 Palelologus
When all his appointments are combined, 53 percent have gone to Republicans and 31 percent to Democrats, according to the administration.
—
53 + 31 = 84
what are the other 16% 8-?
The RINONATOR once again shows his true colors.
Are you listening Sen. Hatch??
[1: figuratively speaking of course]
"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 Palelologus
Arnold the fool. circa 2007. Trademark pending.
Arnold was NEVER conservative. He was just better than Bustamante. When people point out that Reagan won in California I always tell them that California is a verrrry different place than it was when Reagan was Governor. With all the illegals voting it will be a long time before the Republicans can actually get any statewide presence.
Well at least the lights are still on, which was a problem with Gray ‘The Tunnel at the End of the Light’ Davis.
Arnold is a Dem, just like Bloomberg is a Dem, just like Rudy is a Dem...Actions speak louder than the (R) of (D) after one's name.
California needs a Conservative Party like the one in New York state. McClintock needs to dissociate himself from the GOP.
Much as we may dislike this statement, it's 100% correct. The California Republican Party has zero ability to articulate a conservative message in a way that Californians will be receptive to.
Thus, the governor's people joined pro-ILLEGAL alien groups, CAIR, the Sacramento Bee, et al who wanted him off the air; also KFBK management wanted less on-air support for our forces in Iraq -- and according to Mr. Williams' recent statement on another station, KFBK management wanted on-air support for gay marriage.
It's amazing how the market on "skills" and "talent" has all of a sudden been cornered by liberal Democrats.
I have long believed that Democrat moles have run the CRP for nearly all of the past ten years -- at least, the moles have had heavy influence. To wit, for a time during those years the CRP candidates pretty much refused to appear on conservative talk radio -- especially KSFO in San Francisco. KGO yes, KSFO no. Recently that's changed except for SchwarzenKennedy.
Tally as of 08/20/06 Democrat: 60 34.5% Republican: 94 54.0% decline-to-state: 20 11.5% Total: 174 100.0%
Just amazing. I could vote for Davis or Arnold. I voted for Arnold and I got Davis! Absolutely amazing.....not.
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