California: Gray Davis

By Peter Schrag Columnist California Progress Report It’s hard to believe that tomorrow marks the sixth anniversary of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s surprise announcement that he was running in the California recall of 2003 to replace the battered Gov. Gray Davis. The date was August 6. That fall he arrived in Sacramento...

Hey Big Daddy,
As a Republican, a real Republican, I can’t wait until 2010. What’s your sense of the Republican gubernatorial field?
--Hopeful in Hanford

Dear Hopeful,

I don’t mean to undermine your very core, given your moniker and all, but I’m not sure I’d get my hopes up if I were you.
I will say this – I admire your spirit. Where else but California can you have a party that is quickly becoming marginalized and regionalized - a party that has lost its grip on the Legislature, most Constitutional offices and, given the events of last weekend, reality – and still think you’ve got a real shot at grabbing the brass ring?

I’m not saying Republicans have no chance in 2010, but it’s going to take some kind of pocketbook to make that happen.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't governing by magazine cover, he's governing by Sunday talk show.  This is a good venue for him, because nobody asking him questions has any idea what Arnold's actually done to California, and he can spout off one-liners and talk the Beltway language of post-partisanship without rebuttal.  These kinds of interviews are never given to reporters in his home state, because they might actually have experience with his tenure and thus would be in position to know a lie when they see one.

For example, the Governor is getting a lot of ink for the line about how he'd be willing to take any stimulus money from any governor in the country who rejects it.

It was a busy weekend on both coasts for California Republicans.

Fresh from raising taxes and slicing the budgets of fellow consitutuional officers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger headed to Washington, D.C. to attend a National Governors Association meeting and take a bow before the national media.

Likening California's budget troubles to an earthquake, the governor defended his decision to raise taxes and said his party's leaders in Washington should be "team players" with President Barack Obama.

And if that means violating the GOP's principles, he said, so be it.

Grand Old Party members with another point of view, meanwhile, were wrapping up a weekend convention in Sacramento with little love for their governor or his flexible principles.