Restive GOP Activists May Stage Revolt

[Judi Lynn]

January 20, 2006 latimes.com

Restive GOP Activists May Stage Revolt
Conservatives threaten to withhold support of Schwarzenegger's reelection bid if he doesn't fire a key aide who is a Democrat.

By Peter Nicholas, Times Staff Writer

SACRAMENTO — Republican activists disenchanted with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that they will try to strip the governor of the party's endorsement unless he fires his new chief of staff, Democrat Susan P. Kennedy.

Restive Republicans said they would rally conservatives behind a resolution, to be offered at the state GOP convention in San Jose next month, that may give Schwarzenegger an ultimatum: Dump Kennedy by March 15 or the party will withdraw its backing of his reelection bid.

Drafts of the resolution are circulating, and proponents of the idea are planning to meet in Palm Springs this weekend to discuss strategy.
The insurgent party members said they are attempting to mobilize support among gun owners, abortion opponents and other conservatives.

"We've gotten to the point where we've just had it with the guy," said Michael Schroeder, an attorney from Corona del Mar and a former chairman of the California Republican Party. "It's become clear that he's no longer pursuing a Republican agenda."
(snip/...)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gop20jan20,0,5269204.story?coll=la-headlines-california
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[gratuitous]

1. GOP activists are revolting!

And this is news? Well, probably to some folks at the LA Times.

Michael Schroeder seems pretty clueless; I wonder what skeletons are waiting to come clattering out of his closet? Or has he forgotten that Ah-nuld just got humiliated two months ago in the elections when every last one of his proposals went down to defeat? Idiot.

[RAGING Granny]

2. Yup.

The GOP sure is pretty darn revolting and their activists are the revoltingest!!

[zbdent]

5. Welcome, RAGING Granny!

:hi:

[mom cat]

10. Hey raging granny. You tell um!

Welcome aboard and :hi:

[rocktivity]

21. Welcome to DU, RagingGranny!

:party:
rocknation

[sarge43]

8. Aye, they're always revolting, but now they're rebelling. n/t

[displacedtexan]

3. Oh, look! There's a brier patch up ahead!

Don't throw Ahhnoldt into to, whatever you do!

[cascadiance]

4. Uh Ahnold... I think it's pretty clear that you need to drop the GOP

... and become independent if you have any hope of ever winning in politics again. It is clear that you got yourself in trouble by compromising too much of California's and all of our citizen's welfare and principles to the GOP earlier when doing things like the special election which have gotten you in the trouble you are in now.

You're trying to appeal to Dems with your new appointment, but see how fascist this GOP is becoming towards any sort of moderation on the part of their members? They won't ALLOW you to try and meet a majority of Californians halfway. Therefore it's a lose/lose situation. Not only are you going to lose the election being affiliated with that party, but you are going to further smash your reputation into the ground.

You ran more as "Ahnold" which got you elected in the recall election as opposed to running as a Republican. You don't need them. Drop 'em like a bad habit.

Though there are many of us that hope you stay on the course you are now, so we can either mop you up or mop up the other fascist they nominate instead with a true progressive candidate in 2006!

[oneold1-4u]

6. Don't doubt-

That Arnold has a lot going. He is connected to one of the most powerful families in the democratic party. Republicans holding the gun could mean one great backfire. Arnold can blame them, for all his mistakes and turn to the democrats in a heartbeat. Some of the republicans, the die-hards, still think they can push everyone around and remain in power.
I sure wouldn't want to be kicking the shins of the "terminator"!

[mike_c]

7. you think arnold could turn to the democrats in THIS STATE?

In California? :rofl:

Not in a million years. Arnold is simply running out of friends, period.

[Demeter]

9. What Makes Anyone Think the Democrats Want Arnold?

Some trash should be composted, not recycled.

[cascadiance]

12. I think the Terminator "flip flopped" too much!

There's no way that just hiring this person will get any significant amount of support from progressives in this state. Had he done that in the beginning and not gone on that big special election war on progressives, then things might have been different, but then you'd have had the Rethugs wanting to expel him from their party that much more.

Face it Rethugs, you are a minority party in this state. If you don't want to compromise, you'll get few and far between state-wide offices from this point forward. Look at the last big election where statewide elections had Rethuglicans get swept. The recall election was an anomaly. The only two seats they hold now have been "backed in" outside of regular elections (Arnold for Governor, and his appointed Secretary of State McPherson after they railroaded Shelly out).

For Arnold now though, it's too little, too late. All he's doing is alienating his new Rethuglican base with that move. Either way if they keep him in as their nominee for 2006, or put someone else in, I think a Dem is going to win this time around.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. Whassamatta? Ahnold got his bottom feeders riled up?

Stuff it where the sun don't shine, you RW whores..

[FVZA_Colonel]

13. Shouldn't he be pursuing the agenda he feels is best for the state of

California, rather than a "Republican" one?

[primavera]

14. "...no longer pursuing a Republican agenda"?

What, balancing the budget on the backs of poor people, the elderly, and students and racking up staggering debts isn't Republican enough?

[LiberalGuy000]

15. Independent Arnold

He should have run as an independent from the beginning. He would have still won easily.

[onager]

23. But that would have cost Ahnold his own money!

By running as a Republican, he got to steal money from crybaby Darrell Issa. You may remember that it was perennial California GOP election loser and car-alarm multi-millionaire Issa who bankrolled the recall campaign against Gray Davis.

Issa originally put up $3 million, IIRC, of his own money to start the recall drive. After being humiliated in the previous Senate race, Issa thought he would take a crack at stealing the Governor's office.

Karl Rove let Issa spend his money, then when the recall petition passed, ordered Issa to stand aside and let Arnie take over.

I'll never forget seeing Issa break down and CRY on TV. Pathetic bastard was wailing like one of his own cheap car alarms against the unfairness of it all. It was a beautiful sight.

[NorthernSpy]

16. from this, I infer that they expect him to lose in any case...

Restive Republicans said they would rally conservatives behind a resolution, to be offered at the state GOP convention in San Jose next month, that may give Schwarzenegger an ultimatum: Dump Kennedy by March 15 or the party will withdraw its backing of his reelection bid.

Of course, no one with any self-respect would dream of caving in to such an ultimatum. The conservatives know that. In fact, they're banking on it.

I suspect that the "revolting conservatives" believe that Ahhnold will probably lose the election, no matter what. When that happens, they will argue that their withdrawal of support was the critical factor that denied him victory. This ultimatum prepares the ground for making that argument.

The reality is that Schwarzenegger is weak because of his connection to a Republican Party that is in a great deal of trouble right now. The ultra-conservatives are aware that they may be fingered as an election-costing risk factor for the GOP, and they very much need to avoid the prospect of this conclusion becoming common wisdom.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Excellent analysis

And dead on.

:thumbsup:

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. It couldn't be because they got their asses handed to them in November

Nahhhh...

These people are douchebags of the first order, but watching them wring their drippy douches all over Ah-nold is truly a sight to behold with joy!

[f-bush]

19. The gop is revolting, period!!!!

I hope they eat each other alive and then gag on it!!!!

[warrens]

20. Go for it, dildos

Your time is up. California will only elect Republicans with a gimmick; they sure aren't voting for you clowns for your nazi ideology.

[rocktivity]

22. "Never tell your enemy he is making a mistake." --Napoleon Bonaparte

BUT...are you GOP-ers aware that Arnold has SLIGHTLY bigger problems than a token Democrat on his staff? Oh, the Democrat in question is his CHIEF OF STAFF! And her name is KENNEDY? Any relation? Never mind...

:P
rocknation

[Hekate]

24. He just tossed some $$ at the community college system. Wonder what...

...he's up to?

I mean I'm grateful and all that, but it just seems so...un-Republican.

Hekate