February 12, 2006
What drives the California Republican Party?
Arnold Schwarzenegger's sudden and severe problems with the California Republican Party seem to be quite puzzling. The Governor's people scrambling to make sure that he doesn't face a right-wing primary appointment, and party activists are threatening to withhold their support.
The reason is Schwarzenegger's appointment of Susan Kennedy, a long-time Democrat, as his chief of staff. The conservative California Republican Assembly has threatened not to endorse the governor unless he revokes the appointment.
But this is all very strange. As soon as he took over the Governorship, Schwarzenegger appointed long-time liberal activist Bonnie Reiss as his senior policy advisor. He then named Terry Tamminen, the head of Environment Now, as his EPA chief, and then promoted Tamminen to the powerful post of Cabinet Secretary. Schwarzenegger has long relied heavily on the counsel of former Democratic Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg.
So why the impending revolt over Kennedy?
I'm really baffled. I'm sure that the fact that Kennedy is a lesbian is purely coincidental, and has nothing whatever to do with it.
