A Party of Gropers

"We need to change our party's image," said California Republican leaders, explaining their early enthusiasm for Arnold Schwarzenegger. If Schwarzenegger wins today, they will certainly get their wish. The face of the California Republican Party will become that of a Hollywood groper.

In the final days of the recall, Republican leaders became exactly what they opposed during the Clinton years: excuse-making, shoot-the-messenger shills for a law-breaking libertine. For the sake of one cheap win, Republicans embraced a Clintonian charmer credibly accused of groping up to 15 women (at last count). Where is the honor in this victory? Where even is the pragmatism? Is it "pragmatic" to solve one problem by creating a host of new ones?

The shilling for Schwarzenegger was Carvillian in its sophistry. Yes, the Los Angeles Times is biased; yes, the Democrats are hypocritical. Does it follow from that that all 15 women are lying? No. Even as Schwarzenegger in a roundabout manner conceded that groping took place, his Republican cheerleaders denied or downplayed the reports. This made them look dishonest, not his accusers.

Nor can Republicans console themselves that a crackpot allegation from someone like Rhonda Miller nullifies all of the allegations. Clinton used false charges to absolve himself of real charges.

After a surge of bad press, Schwarzenegger switched to a non-apology apology, relying on a vague denial of most of the charges while admitting to unspecified "playful" behavior. Apparently honesty wasn't polling as well as he and his advisers had hoped. On a television show this last weekend, Schwarzenegger, incredibly enough, promised to get to the bottom of his misdemeanors after he is elected governor. "I can get into all of the specifics and find out what is really going on," he said. "But right now I'm just really occupied with the campaign."

So his first act as governor, should he win, will be to investigate the charges against himself? That would cap a carnival-like recall. It is becoming clearer that by attempting to replace a corrupt pol with a corrupt actor California Republican leaders have not ended the state crisis but extended it. The press reports that Democratic Attorney General Bill Lockyer has "called on Schwarzenegger to submit to a state investigation of the sexual harassment accusations, regardless of if he is elected governor," and "Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said he will introduce a bill he called 'Arnold's Law' to increase the penalties for sexually harassing women in the workplace."

If Lockyer gets his investigation and discovers what Schwarzenegger has already confessed -- that he has molested women -- what happens then? Schwarzenegger is subject to a recall? One irony of a Davis defeat is that the Democrats then get a chance for clean leadership while Republicans are saddled with a confessed sexual assailant.

This is the sham foundation on which state Republicans have chosen to build their party. It won't take long for it to collapse. If Schwarzenegger wins, Democrats needn't lament their loss. They have already won more than they realize. They so rattled Republicans with their conservatives-can't-win rhetoric that Republicans ran into the arms of a Kennedy-family groper who will do more damage to the Republican Party than they ever could. Incidentally, it is ironic that the country club Republicans who refuse to believe the Los Angeles Times report about Schwarzenegger completely believe the Times when it editorializes that conservative Republicans can't win in the state.

When Republicans behave and think like Democrats -- by operating according to the same dishonorable ends-justify-the-means calculus as Democrats, by treating crimes as "no big deal," by accepting the Clintonian coarsening of American politics, by playing dumb about real scandal, etc. -- the whole political system moves to the left, which is a victory for the very destructive liberalism that the Republican Party exists to arrest. It becomes not the solution to the problem but part of it.

The lesser-of-two-liberals politics the California GOP takes as gospel means liberals win every election. Ordinary Republicans may soon come to see this as a futile and shameful politics -- a politics which leads anti-Clinton Republicans to entrust the state to a Hollywood libertine they wouldn't trust with their wives.

Heres info on the lastest She wishes she was groped by a man any man:

Result of query on Monday, October 06, 2003 6:33:56 PM
Last Name: Miller
First Name: Rhonda

Case Number LAV262259-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse West
Filing Date 10/20/1986 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 374B.5 PC LITTERING ON PUB/PRIV PROPERTY Guilty/Convicted 10/20/1986

Case Number LAS7SF01885-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 03/20/1997 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION Guilty/Convicted 03/21/1997

Case Number COM87M06798-01 Filed At Compton Courthouse
Filing Date 06/25/1987 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 23152(A) VC UND INFLNCE ALCHL/DRUG IN VEH Dismissed or Not Prosecuted 08/04/1987

02 23152(B) VC .08% MORE WGHT ALCHL DRIVE VEH Dismissed or Not Prosecuted 08/04/1987

03 23103 VC RECKLESS DRIVING/NO INJURY Guilty/Convicted 08/04/1987

Case Number LC88M05743-01 Filed At Bellflower Courthouse
Filing Date 11/18/1988 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11550 H&S USE/UNDR INFLUNCE CONTRL SUBST Guilty/Convicted 05/08/1989

02 4149 B&P POSSESSION OF HYPO AND SYRINGE Guilty/Convicted 05/08/1989

Case Number LC88M05823-01 Filed At Bellflower Courthouse
Filing Date 11/28/1988 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 470 PC FORGERY Guilty/Convicted 03/16/1989

02 470 PC FORGERY Guilty/Convicted 03/16/1989

03 470 PC FORGERY Guilty/Convicted 03/16/1989

Case Number LC89M00234-01 Filed At Bellflower Courthouse
Filing Date 11/20/1988 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 487 SUB1 PC GRAND THEFT:PROPERTY Dismissed or Not Prosecuted 05/08/1989

Case Number LAA89R19110-01 Filed At Central Arraignment Court
Filing Date 04/10/1989 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION * *

Case Number LAA90R12077-01 Filed At Central Arraignment Court
Filing Date 05/14/1990 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION Guilty/Convicted 05/16/1990

Case Number LAS93F02920-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 04/23/1993 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION Guilty/Convicted 05/19/1993

Case Number LAS93F03432-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 05/13/1993 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION Guilty/Convicted 03/21/1997

Case Number LAV93P04208-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse West
Filing Date 05/04/1993 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11550(A) H&S USE/UNDR INFLUENCE CONTROL SUB Guilty/Convicted 05/04/1993

Case Number LAS9SF00630-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 02/05/1999 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION Guilty/Convicted 11/17/1999

02 653.22(A) PC UNLWFL LOITR W/INTNT PROSITUTE Dismissed or Not Prosecuted 11/17/1999

Case Number LAS9SF05031-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 11/17/1999 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 647(B) PC DISORDER CONDUCT:PROSTITUTION Guilty/Convicted 11/17/1999

Case Number LAVA809776-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse West
Filing Date 04/29/1985 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11378.5 H&S POSSESS PHENCYCLEDINE FOR SALE * *

Case Number LAVA817519-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse West
Filing Date 07/02/1987 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11352 H&S TRANSPORT/SELL NARC CNTRL SUBS * *

Case Number XNWA817519-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse East
Filing Date 07/14/1987 General Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

* * * *

Case Number LAVA822266-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse West
Filing Date 09/27/1988 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11352 H&S TRANSPORT/SELL NARC CNTRL SUBS * *

Case Number XNWA822266-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse East
Filing Date 10/07/1988 General Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

* * * *

Case Number LAVP018648-01 Filed At Van Nuys Courthouse West
Filing Date 08/26/1983 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 PETTY-THEFT * * *

Case Number LASPA038220-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 02/06/2001 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 664-11350(A) H&S ATMPTED POSS CONTRL SUB Held to Answer 02/22/2001

Case Number XNVPA038220-01 Filed At San Fernando Courthouse
Filing Date 02/22/2001 General Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 664-11350(A) H&S ATMPTED POSS CONTRL SUB Guilty/Convicted 03/15/2001

Case Number LCVA051872-01 Filed At Bellflower Courthouse
Filing Date 12/15/1998 Limited Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11350(A) H&S POSS NARCOTIC CONTROL SUBSTANC Guilty/Convicted 12/28/1998

02 11550(A) H&S USE/UNDR INFLUENCE CONTROL SUB Referral to another court/agent 12/28/1998

Case Number XSEVA051872-01 Filed At Norwalk Courthouse
Filing Date 12/28/1998 General Jurisdiction
Count Charge Code Charge Description** Disposition Disposition Date

01 11350(A) H&S POSS NARCOTIC CONTROL SUBSTANC Guilty/Convicted 12/28/1998

02 11550(A) H&S USE/UNDR INFLUENCE CONTROL SUB Dismissed or Not Prosecuted 01/20/1999

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