ARNOLD’S VISITS LEGISLATORS TODAY…
EMPTY CHAIRS? OR A SMALLER TABLE?
**Note, this morning I incorrectly reported that the Governor would be meeting with legislative Democrats today. That was in error (thanks Richard Costigan for the call, sorry for lighting up your phone this morning). I will bring it up with the Publisher….oh…wait…that’s me…. OK, I will be more dilgent at fact-checking next time…**
Today, Governor Schwarzenegger is scheduled to spend some time meeting with Republican 
legislators…and his first observation might be – where are they? I’ve been talking or e-mailing with enough Assembly Repubs to know that at least ten of them (probably more) are not coming to their special caucus meeting with the Governor. Why not? Well, here is a sample of what I got from the few with whom I interacted:
- "I’ll be out of the state…"
- "I’ve got a big in-district fundraiser the next day…"
- "We only had a week’s notice. I had other plans."
- "I’m not going to leave my family and fly up there to hear him try to justify hiring a Democrat Chief of Staff…"
- "Why couldn’t he talk to us when we are up there anyways."
- "All I would do is yell at him, or try. It wouldn’t be productive. He’s tacking left and I want no part of it."
- "I’ve got a district-office holiday open-house."
- "He wouldn’t know me from a hole in the wall."
The good news: Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s catering bill will be lower.
The big questions: Does the Governor bring the Democrat operative in charge of his office to the meeting? Will GOP legislators take umbrage with the pick?
Our advice: Governor, before you go to visit the legislators, please read this.
Of course, eventually the Governor will go to visit Democrats, and when he does they will be urging him to tack left – a HARD left. Of course, he can laugh it off and say, "I already have, I’ve hired Susan Kennedy!"
Final thoughts: Don’t we pay these folks to be full-time legislators? I respect that the legislature is out of session. But with the Governor’s office now having TWO former Gray Davis’ Deputy Chiefs of Staff, talk of massive borrowing schemes, and other leftward shifts on policy, isn’t this a time for GOP legislators to RELISH an opportunity to give in-person input to the Governor. While the relatively short-term notice is an issue – I think that for full-time pay, legislators should presume they might have to come to the capitol any week of the year (gasp!).
TOOKIE WILLIAMS’ EXECUTION
The Governor did the right thing by opposing clemency for Tookie Williams. But a quick read of the Governor’s rejection analysis worried me just a little… The Governor basically says that Williams
has never admitted guilt for his crime, and has therefore never admitted or shown remorse. SO WHAT? Since when does feeling bad for brutally murdering people present a mitigating factor for implementation of a criminal sentence, no matter how severe? I repeat my original thoughts — if anyone has a problem with the death penalty, take it to the voters, or if you think you have a case, challenge it in court. But as long as it is the law of the land, I believe that the only reason a Governor should grant clemency is if they believe that something was fundamentally unfair about the trial – or some piece of exculpatory evidence has been brought to their attention in the final weeks/days.
All of this said, the Governor should be commended for doing the right thing. Clearly weighing issues of life and death are among the most stressful and difficult decisions that a Governor has to make. I would have been respectful of any decision he made, but this was the right one from a public policy perspective.
THE INDIRECT INITIATIVE
Take a few moments today to read Dan Weintraub’s column in the Sacramento Bee (linked on the main page in the "Golden Pen" section). He has some interesting ideas about ways to improve the initiative process.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BOARD WILL MEET
I’ll be writing more about this – but put on your radar screen that on Thursday, the Board of Directors of the State Republican Party will meet in Sacramento, to discuss, among other things, the impact of the former Executive Director of the California Democrat Party now running our Republican Governor’s administration. Usually the Governor sends a representative (Mindy Fletcher), but he is attending this meeting himself. It will be interesting to hear how it goes, and I will be writing more about this. My first piece of advice is to immediately take the board into Executive Session, and toss out all of the staffers. No – not because this will mean that Democrat Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy will be tossed out — get real — there is more of a chance that the Governor would bring Maria than here (ie… 0%). But it would create the kind of intimate environment where real discourse can take place. I believe that is to everyone’s advantage.
Have a great day!
Jon
Remember to write (anonymously if you want).