— Spokesman
There have a pair of corollary events in the California governor’s race this week.
First, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed former Rep. James Rogan to the state bench. Rogan, an ultra-rightwinger from Glendale, made his mark on history as one of the House Managers in the Clinton impeachment.
A few days after this prime example of a Republican governor busily packing California courts with rightwing, activist idealogues comes word of an audacious slap in the face to California Democrats:
Some of Hollywood’s most reliable and generous donors to the Democratic Party — Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and media mogul Haim Saban — are endorsing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bid for reelection.
Their support is partly a matter of friendship over partisanship. But it could deal a blow to the governor’s main opponent, state Treasurer Phil Angelides, by signaling to other Democrats that it’s acceptable to embrace a Republican.
“It starts with a personal relationship. They are friends,” said Andy Spahn, a spokesman for both Spielberg and Katzenberg.
The two men also like Schwarzenegger’s plans to tackle global warming and fund schools. But further, Spahn said, “they are receptive to the governor’s taking a less partisan approach to the job and a more inclusive approach to government.”
This defection comes as the fortunes of Democratic challenger Phil Angelides appear to be fading fast, and there is a whiff of rats deserting the sinking ship. It is also reckless. Schwarzenegger has been penned in this year because it’s an election year and because of his disastrous performance last year, but any number of factors could set him free to pursue the ideological interests of his party.
You would be hard pressed to find any Democrats in California who think a return to the agenda enacted during the 16 years of Republican rule that ended with the term of Gov. Pete Wilson, Schwarzenegger’s mentor, would be anything but destructive for the state.
True, the political influence of these moguls is limited, but their endorsement gives Schwarzenegger cover from namebrand California liberals that he has not earned and never will.
It reeks of cronyism. These guys can conveniently forget that Arnold believes he’s Ronald Reagan reincarnate because their relationship with him is based on business. After all, they’ll be working and socializing with him long after his second term.
