PHIL’S BAD PRESS DAY
FR friend Steve Maviglio, who had been handling some press duties for Phil Angelides during the legislative break, is back at work for Speaker Nunez these days. But I am sure as he is looking at press coverage of the Gubernatorial race today, he is rolling his eyes. Since he is in Sacramento, he has to read a buzz column that starts out with a story about how basketball legend Magic Johnson was a no-show for an Angelides fundraiser. But that is only the beginning of bad-press Monday for the ersatz Governor Angelides… You have a major story in the Los Angeles Times dumping on Angelides for a lack of charisma, the Contra Costa Times wondering if Angelides will gain any traction, and then Bill Bradley on his New West Notes website throws dirt into the political grave of Angelides, highlighting that the only way he gets press is by talking about whatever the Governor is talking about, in the hopes of getting a down-story quote. And it’s only Monday, Phil!
TERM LIMITS MEASURE WILL SINK REDISTRICTING REFORM
Over the weekend and today there are hearings and back-room meetings trying to discuss how the legislature can tackle the issues of redistricting and term-limits reform. Everyone involved with these discussions today should take a moment to read a column in today’s Wall Street Journal by native-Californian John Fund, a member of the WSJ editorial board. It is a poignant reminder of how popular term limits are with the electorate, not just in California, but nationally.
In this website publisher’s opinion, the likelihood of California voters passing legislation that weakens the current term limits in the Golden State is very remote. You are adding a significant challenge when you pile on two massive PR challenges — the first is that it would be the legislators themselves (not citizens via signature petition) placing the loosening on the ballot, and the other is that I have heard no discussions about having the new limits apply only to new legislators. How exactly do the proponents of modifying term limits to give legislators more time in Sacramento plan to deal with an ad campaign, funded by U.S. Term Limits et.al., that focuses attention on the self-serving nature of this measure. Add to the challenge, from the GOP side of the aisle, that term limits are very popular. Everyone keeps focusing on the dysfunction of the legislature under term limits, and they are forgetting that the institution was equally dysfunctional before term limits. Putting into place a system that creates fair legislative districts starts to address the issues that make term limits popular in the first place — and the current, flawed redistricting plan should be changed.
Combining both reforms on one ballot question is constitutionally questionable, and placing a clause in the redistricting reform measure requiring the concurrent passage of the term limits measure is just dumb. It’s the equivalent of tying a rope around the leg of redistricting reform, and then around a huge anvil, and then wondering if it will float. It will sink to the bottom of the political sea.
ASSEMBLY GOPER’S GET IT – ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS THE KEY ISSUE THIS YEAR
Look on any survey you want, or ask any pollster you want — they will tell you that the public interest and intensity on the issue of illegal immigration is high. High enough that it will cause many voters to vote, or not vote at all. It is a good thing that Assembly Republicans are showing initiative on the state level that has, up to this point, been absent. Plescia and Assembly Republicans have created an Illegal Immigration Task Force that will hold hearings around the state, assessing the role that State Government might be playing in encouraging people to become criminals by coming into this state in violation of the law. Hopefully Governor Schwarzenegger will plan on attending one or more of these hearings — you can be sure that Phil Angelides will avoid them, just as legislative Democrats are avoiding them. They are too busy passing legislation to encourage more illegal immigration into California. Schwarzenegger has a real opportunity to inspire base GOP voters and many swing-voters by making it clear that illegal immigration is bad, and that people who violated our state’s laws should not be eligible for any federal, state or local government benefits. It is unfair to sneak/crawl/smuggle yourself into America, and ask citizen-taxpayers to foot the bill. And you will pardon my cynicism if I am unwilling to assume that all of those who come here illegally have good intentions — when their very first act is to break our laws.
Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?
Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.