To some California conservatives, she’s no less than Satan. To Governor Schwarzenegger, she’s his Chief of Staff and his favorite Democrat. To some reformers, she’s the embodiment of a double dippin’ conflict of interest.
Susan Kennedy is also a former top aide to Arnold’s predecessor Gray Davis, a former director of the state’s National Abortion Rights Action League and she’s a high-profile lesbian who invited scads of pols to her 1999 commitment ceremony.
Whatever one thinks of Schwarzenegger, putting Kennedy in charge of his staff and now sending her out in public as his most aggressive campaigner for re-election has thrown everyone off-kilter. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, there will be a move at this month’s state GOP convention by Republicans who despise Kennedy to withhold endorsement of Schwarzenegger. It’s an unlikely bet but still sure to be messy.
On the other side of the spectrum, Kennedy draws fire from left-of-center reformers because of her brazen salary double dipping. She not only gets a state salary of more than $130,000 for her work as Chief of Staff, but will also be collecting an additional $75,000 from the Governor’s re-election campaign funds. Schwarzenegger was elected in the 2003 recall on precisely the promise to do away with such funny-money political games. But this movie has taken a twist.
"What’s amazing is that you’ve got a situation where Schwarzenegger has become worse than Gray Davis,” said Doug Heller, who runs the ArnoldWatch Web site on behalf of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "It’s almost like a Schwarzenegger movie where the hero kills the villain — and takes over his personality.”
Hey, it’s California politics. We’re strange out here. Make sure to bookmark Bill Bradley’s New West Notes to keep close track on All Things Arnold. And while you’re at it, take a peek as well at my daily blog. The fight over the Governor’s re-election is really heating up. And Bill and I will both be covering it.
