Today, Schwarzenegger Campaign Manager Steve Schmidt (pictured) held a ‘pen and pad’ briefing for about 20 poltical reporters in Sacramento.
You can read a few different takes on that meeting from various reports in the blogosphere: The Sacramento Bee’s Dan Weintraub, the Los Angeles Weekly’s Bill Bradley, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Carla Marinucci, and KQED’s John Myers. It’s actually kind of fun to compare what different folks took away from the briefing.
I found the most interesting part of Schmidt’s discussions to be about Susan Kennedy (pictured), the 
Governor’s controversial Chief of Staff. You’ll recall that Kennedy is the former Executive Director of the California Democratic Party that is esconced in the office next to the Governor, intimately involved with every major – and probably minor – decision in this administration…Grrrr. I’ve certainly gone on until I am blue about what a bad idea I think this hiring decision was and continues to be (as have my colleagues). I was pleased to hear that Schmidt said that Kennedy is no longer making appearances at political events for the Governor, and went on to say there is even an e-mail ‘firewall’ between the Governor’s state and campaign offices. Perhaps they could erect a similar ‘firewall’ between Kennedy’s office and the rest of the Governor’s government offices. THAT would be technology used for the betterment of California.
I’ve had an opportunity to meet with Schmidt, and I can tell you that he is an impressive guy, and will well-serve the Governor through this re-election. Unlike the Kennedy hire, Schmidt was a great choice.
I should close out this, my most recent anti-Kennedy rant, with a personal note that I have nothing personal against Susan Kennedy. In my one brief opportunity to meet her (h/t to Richard Costigan) I found her to be charming and funny. That said, she also is partisan Democrat. No thank you!
Oh yes, Kennedy is still ‘augmenting’ her salary with regular checks from the Governor’s campaign.