And with one release, Schwarzenegger is hip deep in GOP alligators, and Kennedy is persona non grata with the Dems….

You’ll find this release here, but Probably not at this site: StopSusanKennedy.com

Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Susan Kennedy Chief of Staff Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Susan Kennedy as chief of staff. "Susan is a hands-on, action-oriented person who gets things done. She is a leader with incredible institutional knowledge about state government and a deep understanding of the public policy process. We have had incredible accomplishments throughout my administration and I look forward to working with Susan to build upon that foundation and make California once again the golden dream by the sea." "Pat has worked … Read More

Should Arnold Schwarzenegger run for re-election as an Independent?

Schwarzenegger has always had an uneasy relationship with the Republican Party’s base. Susan Kennedy’s hiring has only intensified the tensions that have existed since he first announced plans for a ballot initiative to fund after school programs.

Schwarzenegger is a centrist. He’s conservative on economic issues and immigration issues, moderate on cultural and environmental matters. As I’ve written before, that ideological balance is what allowed him to attract the support of swing voters in the recall election. But it has also kept him from forming a stronger relationship with his own party.

Most successful politicians figure out away to balance the needs of their base with the demands of the political center. Bill Clinton did it by calling himself a “New Democrat”. George W. Bush accomplished the same goal by presenting himself as a “compassionate conservative”. Arnold didn’t come up with quite as catchy a turn of phrase for himself, but a governor who repeals the car tax and opposes drivers’ licenses for… Read More

I think most of California’s political community is scratching their heads over the Susan Kennedy COS appointment. Even if you are a liberal, sorry progressive Democrat you have to wonder how it all happened.

We Republicans especially are searching for answers. I have identified a few reasons, thoughts and some options, some rational, some not.

>"It is 99% Maria and 1% desperation," says Probolsky [Note to media, feel free to use this as long as you attribute to me and Flasreport.org]. -Call me vain for quoting myself, but I think this is the best explanation. It is no secret the insider pull the Governor’s wife has. If Maria trusts someone, and I gather there are few people she trusts, they have a pretty good shot at becoming [fill in high level government job here]. > "Some would suggest it… Read More

THE FISCAL FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA This week, the FlashReport has been featuring some great original columns from folks we think are experts on California’s finances, and have very real concerns about where we should go from here. On Monday we featured a great piece from Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, on why the idea of massive infrastructure bonds right now are a poor public policy choice for California. Today, we have a piece from State Senator (and soon to be Congressman) John Campbell, that look as where we should be going, in terms of fiscal policy, after the defeat at the polls of Proposition 76. Campbell, too, opposes a massive bond-obligation scheme without meaningful (and unlikely) fiscal reforms. Tomorrow we will be featured yet another piece from a prominent authority on why the borrowing scheme is a bad one, with some constructive input on handling California’s infrastructure… Read More

Governor Schwarzenegger was never a friend to conservatives, he was just a palatable choice who had some sex appeal, and could win we were told.

Credit was given to him for kinda-sorta fixing workers comp and talking a good game on improving the business climate. And I have opined that the Governor’s Special Election while a lose took guts and should be recognized.

WHAT HAS CHANGED

Since the Special Election we have seen a slide, shift, some sort of movement away from Republicans and Republican principles first with the suggestion that it was GOP donors who didn’t put a big enough money sack in the pot to win the Special Election when we all know it was the Governor’s failure to defend himself for months against the relentless union attacks. Next we saw the proposal for his $50 billion bond further saddling the state with debt. And now the Kennedy chief of staff appointment. Her appointment is stick in the eye to ever Republican that held their nose and voted for him. Worse yet putting a liberal Democrat activist in charge demonstrates to the GOP party faithful that our… Read More

Here is the email sent this morning from Pat Clarey, the Governor’s former Chief of Staff, passing the reigns of her office:

From: Pat Clarey Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 9:01 AM To: All Governor’s Staff Subject: Thank you to all Today I am announcing that I am stepping down on January 1 as Chief of Staff to the Governor. This has been a decision that has been a long time coming. Earlier … Read More

I’ve already checked out on Arnold’s re-election bid. Although there is a long election cycle ahead of us, what I have seen since the special election leaves me underwhelmed. $50 billion in proposed bonds, calls for increased spending, a new liberal Democrat chief of staff, and a resounding defeat three weeks ago add up to a colossal recipe for disaster for 2006. Moving to the left depresses an already depressed GOP base and has not ever in recorded history moved a Democrat partisan voter over to the GOP. Just look how much the Dems love our big spending President and his new Medicare drug plan!. Why we keep repeating the same mistakes over again, in the face of a long history of failure, is beyond me. But hey, I just saved 15% on my car insurance by calling………… Read More

ARNOLD’S PICK FOR THE HIGH COURT The single most important decision facing Governor Schwarzenegger between now and the end of the year will be whom he choses to fill the vacancy on the California Supreme Court. Justice Janice Rogers-Brown, whom Schwarzenegger would be replacing, has been a well regarded judge with a reputation for being conservative. Ken Masugi, of the esteemed conservative think-tank, The Claremont Institute, penned an exclusive column for the FlashReport where he talks about what he thinks the Governor should be looking for in an appointee to California’s highest court. Don’t miss that exclusive column here.

BAD NEWS BONDS Yesterday in the FlashReport, Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association penned an exlcusive piece on the… Read More