Gov's Problems Continue With Mainstream in GOP

The following stories cover the controversial appointment of Jane Fonda admirer and Democrat activist Susan Kennedy to the position of COS by Governor Schwarzenegger.


Los Angles Times
Governor Faces Revolt in GOP
As anger rises over the choice of a Democrat as chief of staff, party leaders demand a talk.
By Robert Salladay, LA Times Staff Writer

• What does it mean to have a chief of staff from the other party during a year of reelection?" asked state Republican Party Chairman Duf Sundheim. "This is one of the reasons we wanted to sit down, to express these concerns."

• "By selecting somebody who has been such a warrior against the values our members have, those people will say, 'Forget it, I am never going down to the headquarters again.' The true believers will focus on county supervisors and school board races," said Michael Der Manouel, Jr., president of the Lincoln Club of Fresno County and a GOP activist.

Sacramento Bee
GOP leaders demand answer
Republicans say the governor must explain why he named a Democrat as his chief of staff.
By Gary Delsohn -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, December 7, 2005

• Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, a member of the conservative California Republican Assembly, wrote a piece Monday on the organization's Web site that suggested conservatives felt permanently scorned by Kennedy's appointment. He also took strong exception to administration comments that Kennedy's appointment was a bold move by an unconventional governor.
  
  "I'll be real blunt," Haynes said in an interview Tuesday. "This was not a bold move. This was a chicken move. This was a move of capitulation."

• Duf) Sundheim said board members wanted to ask Schwarzenegger directly about how Kennedy's appointment may affect his future policy agenda. They're also very concerned about the more practical matter of how she can work with the party as it tries to help get Schwarzenegger elected again next year.
  
  For one thing, the chief of staff or a designee usually sits in on Republican Party board meetings. With an election coming up, issues such as campaign strategy as well as get-out-the-vote and volunteer efforts would be discussed.

I stand behind my analysis posted in my “Second Thoughts on Stopping Kennedy” commentary. I don’t think there is any chance of turning back this appointment. It is the Governor’s choice; he does get to pick his Chief of Staff. But, just as the Governor gets to choose, so do Republicans. The serious questions that have been raised must be answered. But, regardless of those answers it is clear that a statewide Republican standard bearer must rise to speak for the party. At this time however, I am at a loss in predicting who that person will be.