Politicians will look for any port in a storm. A recent Riverside Press Enterprise column talked about a conversation between the Governor and Assembly Anthony Adams where the Governor reportedly laughed and said that Adams now knows how Schwarzenegger feels when he is on John and Ken, relating to Adams conversation with the talk show hosts about his "openness" to voting for a tax increase.
Adams, of course, is looking for allies wherever he can find them, and, of course, the Governor is a good ally. The problem Adams faces is the same one the Governor faces. The Governor has already publicly indicated his desire to break the promises he made to get elected Governor. Adams needs support because he also wants to break his promises, and he knows that, if he does, he is in trouble, the same trouble as a Paul Horcher or a Doris Allen or a Brian Setencich. These notorious oathbreakers sought power under false pretenses by cutting unholy deals with the Democrats, and lost that power at the hands of Republican voters. Adams, who is a nice guy, could have the same thing happen to him. So he seeks any port in the storm, this time, the port he is seeking is the Governor.
Unfortunately, the Governor is not much help. He is a faithless ally. His loyalty to his supporters lasts about as long as it is necessary to achieve his immediate goal. What he gets what he wants he forgets those who got him there. Since the Governor’s political instincts lean toward the expedient rather than the principled, loyalty to him requires his supporters to sway with him, and sacrifice whatever principles and ethics they may have to his whims. And God help anybody who doesn’t completely sacrifice him or herself to the Governor, because without that complete sacrifice, the Governor won’t do anything to help them.
That is Adams dilemma. It is the problem of those who seek short term pursuit of power over the long term pursuit of principle. Power fails, principle endures. Adams believes he is a "player." He believes he is trying to "get things done" and that those who are principled are fools. He is the only wise one, and that he will "get more for his district" or in general be viewed as "reasonable" by the Sacramento power brokers, and through that, he believes he will achieve power and relevance in a world where power and relevance seem like the only currency one has. Those power brokers, like the Governor, demand complete, not partial loyalty, and the moment they view someone as not willing to sacrifice everything for them, they throw them to the wolves. A deal for short term power is a deal with the devil. The search for political relevance is deceptive. Adams will soon find that his quest for power and relevance will become a deal for his political soul. The price for that short term power and so-called political relevance is extraordinarily high, and the personal benefit gained is extraordinarily short lived.
Unfortunately, Adams may find out too late the price he will pay, even if he doesn’t lose his next election.
February 1st, 2009 at 12:00 am
I would not endorse Adams for Assembly when he asked me for my endorsement, because he is not a conservative. I have known Anthony for many years and heard some of his strange ideas over the course of time and concluded that he is not a conservative. He talks about how this may end his career. Why doesn’t he sacrifice his career for the sake of conservative principles. Instead he will make the “sacrifice” to increase our taxes and further burden the people of California. Maybe the Gov offered him one of those cushy 6 figure board positions when he is voted out of office.