Last week, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reached outside of his own political party,
tapping former California Democrat Party Executive Director Susan Kennedy to be his new Chief of Staff. Kennedy has been serving the last couple of years as an appointee of recalled Governor Gray Davis to the Public Utilities Commission, taking that post after having served as Davis’ Deputy Chief of Staff. Kennedy’s bizarre connections made for unique post to the FR blog.
I’ve written about this appointment a few times, as well as a recap of a conversation I had with Governor Schwarzenegger here.
I can tell you that I continue to get a steady string of e-mails from folks were are quite upset over the appointment – now well over a thousand of them. It was reported in the FR Blog that the State Republican Party Board of Directors is/has requested a meeting with the Governor. That should be an interesting meeting – I wonder if the Governor will appreciate that these board members are hearing a LOT of frustration from their constituents, the roughly 1400 State Central Committee members…
JOHN FUND: Arnold’s ‘Harriet Miers Moment’
No one has the ability to delve into an issue and present it with clarity like the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund. Today, the lead story on the FlashReport is this “must read” story, which appears today’s Wall Street Journal (in print and online).
John Fund has a masterfully written column that cuts to the core of the issues that conservatives have with this appointment. The story talks about her history as Deputy Chief for Gray Davis, including details about her involvement with Gray Davis’ administration. Tom McClintock, Keven McCarthy, Roman Buhler and Arnie Steinberg, among others, weigh in on this decision. Here is the beginning of the Fund piece, followed by a link to the whole article.
Arnold’s ‘Harriet Miers Moment’
Has Gov. Schwarzenegger jumped the shark?
Monday, December 5, 2005 12:01 a.m. EST
Arnold Schwarzenegger stunned California last week by selecting the former deputy chief of staff to Gray Davis, the Democratic governor ousted by the recall that brought Mr. Schwarzenegger to power, to be his own chief of staff.
Conservatives are furious that Susan Kennedy, a 45-year-old former acolyte of radical activists Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda, will be Gov. Schwarzenegger’s top administrator, with power to hire and fire staff. Some liberals are angry at her joining a GOP governor; others are bemused. This Wednesday, 450 Gray Davis alumni will fill the state capitol for the unveiling of Mr. Davis’s portrait. Ms. Kennedy will be reunited with David Zingale, another former top Davis aide, who is now chief of staff to First Lady Maria Shriver. Jason Kinney, a Davis speechwriter, quips that Mr. Schwarzenegger has decided to "finish the second term of Gray Davis." Mr. Davis, for his part, notes that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
Some are calling the Kennedy pick the governor’s "Harriet Miers moment." An executive with low poll numbers, urged on by his wife, makes a bold appointment without proper vetting. That sets off a firestorm of unanticipated criticism. The executive insists he hasn’t changed and asks his allies to trust him.
That trust isn’t there for Arnold now. Several key talk-show hosts have broken with him. During a meeting of the state GOP executive committee last Friday, none of the 18 participants were supportive. Several GOP groups that do vital grunt work in campaigns are in open rebellion. The GOP leaders of both legislative houses have blasted the move. "Californians spoke loudly for real change in the recall," GOP Assembly Leader Kevin McCarthy told me. "This is a tragic move backwards."
Read the full column here.
I respect the heck out of this Governor. I hope he can see that this is a ‘lighting rod’ appointment that will continue to have reverberations, unfortunately. I’ve haven’t dealt with this much grassroots frustration/emotion in many, many years.
Jon
PS: You can write to me here.