Mike Genest and I are indeed friends, and I appreciate his response. His response said that I said his piece in the Modesto Bee was an ad hominem attack. I most certainly did not say that. What I did say was that his piece, which ran in Senator Denham’s hometown newspaper, mentioned Senator Denham by name, and criticize Senate Republicans for not voting for the budget, was "naive to the fact that the Democrats were trying to recall Denham." This type of article does indeed aid and abet the recall attempt of the Democrats, and while it may not be "ad hominem" per se, it certainly, and actively, promotes the political goals of the Democrats, and undermines the policy goals of the Republicans.
It is not enough to say that "I am only reciting the facts" when there is an active attempt to remove a friend and colleague from office. At this time, the Republicans in the administration (the few that are left), must actively seek to protect and promote Legislative Republicans by seeking to resolve the budget impasse and pressing a Republican policy agenda, not by justifying the current budget.
In his article, Genest quotes Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman in last year’s budget debate as a justification for a yes vote for this year’s budget. I voted against last year’s budget because it was imprudent. I said it was imprudent, and throughout the year, wrote article after article saying that it was a bad idea. Last year, the Governor collapsed in the face of Democrat pressure to expand spending, and some Republicans went along with the bad idea to help the Governor in his re-election campaign. The fact that some of the Senate Republicans went along with that bad idea, and then tried to justify it publically to support the Governor’s re-election is not evidence that the vote was a good vote. It was not. Further, bringing up that quote should only increase the resolve of the Senate Republicans to oppose this budget. Two wrongs do not make a right. The Governor is not facing re-election this year. It is time to make the state budget right.
The fact is this budget uses surpluses, which are nonrecurring revenue, to pay for recurring expenses. This is exactly the tactic that caused the Gray Davis budgets to collapse. Senate Republicans have chosen here and now to fix the problems that this Governor has created so that this Governor, and ultimately Republicans, will not face the same consequences that Gray Davis suffered. If the Legislative Democrats had this much resolve, Gray Davis will still be Governor. I applaud the Senate Republicans for standing tall, when the political consequences are small to the Governor, and the policy achievements will be great. I criticize the Governor and his staff for taking this fight to the public. That is simply not right, not matter what anyone calls it.