You might have noticed that we’ve been talking about this whole Speaker’s race thing. First there were like 4 potential candidates, then two, Felipe Fuentes and Kevin De Leon, and then 3, with the addition of John A. Perez. And then, Speaker Bass announced that she would be the 29th vote for a future Speaker Perez.
Yet things can never be that easy. This is California, and these are Democrats.
First there was the poll about Gil Cedillo challenging Perez for the assembly district. And then, over the last three days or so, there’s been a discussion of the number 41. Because for some reason, the fact that Speaker Bass is #29, that a consensus in the Caucus has been reached, that’s all now insufficient. 41 has been popping up in whispers around the Capitol, in random hints in quotes in newspapers and on the web.
41 is a powerful number. It’s the number that seperates Democrats from ceding power to the Republicans in the Assembly. It’s the number that allows progressives to maintain whatever semblance of power. It’s the number that keeps vows from being made to Republicans that Democrats will have to maintain.
It’s the number that represents the line that Democrats haven’t crossed. Sure, it’s been flirted with, and Willie Brown crossed it in the 90s to take the Speakership from the Republicans.
There is only one way that the number 41 becomes relevant, if we let this become bigger than it should. If we let personal ambition and personal grievances become larger than what is best for the caucus. And more importantly, if we let what’s best for the state take a back seat.
Democrats are the Assembly Majority. The Assembly Majority Caucus chooses the Speaker. The same as it ever was, the same as it should be. The Member who has the majority of the Majority becomes the Speaker. Forget 41. 26 is the number that matters.
for those who might need remindin’ not to shoot selves in foot
I can hear it now, Kevin’s promising to sell off our coastal oil and vow to increase corporate tax perks to gain Reep votes. The Reeps will own him and dangle the Speakership vote in front of him for the next 18 months.
You’re selling your soul Kevin! You’ve forgotten your roots in downtown San Diego try to make it through the day. Don’t sell out our kids’ future for your selfish ambitions!
As for Cedillo, if you are so afraid of getting a real job, move into Kevin’s district after he loses for Speaker and moves onto the Senate.
The number 41 in the same sentence with “selection of speaker” is a political felony. Who are you accusing?
There have been numerous leaders elected with bipartisan suppport including a few who overcame the majority in their own caucus (Brown in 1980, Howard Way in 1974)let along doing what Willie did by having Republican support. But when you do that you also have to govern and that’s not easy to do unless you have an ideological reasons for the coalition and I don’t think anyone has it at the moment. I also think Perez is close enough to Republicans (Aanestad praised him just the other day) that I think he is alright. However anyone thinking about Speaker needs to know he has to get 41 votes.
you’d think they had better things to do than build petty kingdoms even as the house burns down.
Sigh.