Last fall, I wrote a posting for this website wondering if the Schwarzenegger campaign had put Democratic Assemblyman Paul Koretz on their payroll. Koretz had not only proposed a moratorium in the death penalty on California, but offered an explanation that was mind-boggling in its avoidance of the realities of public safety, politics and governance. His reasoning? ” “There are people who are pure as the driven snow who are on death row. ” http://www.flashreport.org/blog0a.php?postID=3D2005121413581818&post_offs etP=3D15&authID=3D2005091915380734
Schwarzenegger’s political situation has improved considerably in the last six months, and Koretz’ efforts to shore up support for the governor among GOP faithful has since been joined by the Alameda Superior Court judge who threw out the state’s high school exit exam last week. But as we all know, Republican efforts to maintain a majority in Congress have suffered some setbacks recently, as disillusioned conservatives watch federal government spending continue to spiral out of control. Added to concerns relating to illegal immigration, Iraq, gasoline prices, Medicare, and judicial nominations, there is a growing belief that GOP majorities in one or both houses of Congress could be in jeopardy.
Not to worry, however, because Koretz once again rides to the rescue. As John Myers notes on his KQED blog, the West Hollywood Assemblyman is authoring a resolution for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush. http://www.kqed.org/weblog/capitalnotes/2006/05/bush-impeachment-via-sacr amento.jsp
When senior Democratic Congressman John Conyers indicated recently that he might pursue impeachment of the President if his party took back the House, even Nancy Pelosi rushed to deny that a Democratic majority would do anything of the sort. Recognizing that the possibility of a Bush impeachment could serve to motivate conservative voters in a way that this Congress has not, Pelosi worked feverishly to assure voters that her party would never engage in such an activity.
But Koretz, whose political antenna is exquisitely calibrated to the wishes of West Hollywood voters, has made it clear that his party considers impeachment of the President to be a legitimate option. Which suggests that Koretz has traded in his contract with the Schwarzenegger campaign to work for the Republican National Committee. We wish him well in his efforts.