Second Thoughts on Stopping Susan Kennedy

I stand behind my previous assertion that it will take a united effort to stop the appointment of Susan Kennedy as COS to Governor Schwarzenegger. But, I must confess, I am having second thoughts on the whole matter. I am not suggesting that Republicans cease in their efforts to demand a better choice. But, I am suggesting that such efforts will not be successful.

My second thoughts were prompted by John Fund's commentary in his WSJ Political Diary - the article can be seen here. Mr. Fund referred to the appointment of Susan Kennedy as Arnold Schwarzenegger "Harriett Miers moment." To be fair, Mr. Fund does not compare Kennedy to Miers, other than to suggest that her appointment will both shock Republicans and elicit a negative response. And, that really is about the full extent of any legitimate comparison.

In the case of Harriet Miers, President Bush (who generally aligns with conservatives) attempted to nominate a friend to the SCOTUS whom he (I believe) considers a conservative and hoped that other conservatives would trust his judgment. (Understatement here) He was wrong, and the rest is history. In the case of Susan Kennedy, Governor Schwarzenegger (who does not generally align with conservatives) made a conscious decision to nominate an activist and radically liberal Democrat to the position of COS. He did so knowing that it would infuriate conservatives; and, I have to conclude that he either does not care or he does not consider it relevant. In either case, attempts to reverse the Governor's decision by Republicans will not likely be successful.

This does not mean that I believe Republicans should accept the appointment of Kennedy or that I believe that we should not continue to try to encourage the Governor to make a better choice. At the very least, those efforts will unify the conservative base and hopefully they will allow for the emergence of a legitimate statewide Republican leader.