Well, I guess Arnold really meant it about bridging the partisan divide. Well, maybe. But he started by appointing Susan Kennedy to be his Chief of Staff. It’s really quite a shrewd move by the Governator. Now, as for Kennedy, who is an out lesbian, why she would want to be the CoS for the man who ousted her former boss Gray Davis, is beyond me. Beyond the visibility, what’s in it for her? This is a man who vetoed Mark Leno’s marriage legislation and yet she wants to work for him? Strange.
Robert at Left in SF has this to say:
Kennedy, a lesbian, is brilliant, and respected by a both sides of the aisle. Some may remember her as a former aide to ex-Governor Gray Davis and that she defended Senator Feinstein last year who argued that marriage equality had happened too soon shortly after the election. Her defense was not a widely respected position in the LGBT community. I mean, come on.
Nonetheless, beating Schwarzenegger just got a lot harder.
And I predict that Schwarzenegger will oppose the right wing attempt to ban marriage equality and domestic partner benefits that will appear on the ballot next year.
I guess shouldn’t have expected him to continue the bad streak, eh?
I think the special election skewed Ahnold’s public image far to the right. In terms of what would make his re-election feasible at this point, he needs to shift back to the middle (or Left). Hiring Kennedy Was probably a good move.
I guess we should be watching the clemency of Tookie Williams for a sign too. That he will move left is undeniable at this point. Just how far to the left Ahnold will swing remains unclear.
