Schwarzenegger Turns Left

Updated!

Ahnold has appointed a former top Grey Davis aide and former executive director of the corrupt Cal. Democratic Party, Susan Kennedy, to be his chief of staff.

How fitting, and how disappointing. The voters reject the entire slate of initiatives that would have begun the process of killing the monster Davis left, and Schwarzenegger responds by hiring the creature that fed the moster. He's turned to the dark side ... well, the grey side ... of California's political spectrum.

Some will say this is just an honest appraisal by the gov of where his administration stands today, and that he's acknowledging he has to deal with the Dems. But in California, dealing with old hack Dems like Kennedy is dealing with the devil -- the party she once ran is so in the pocket of trial lawyers and unions that we will never retrieve this state from the brink by cozying up to them.

Competing quotes, first Kennedy, scaring me very badly:

"The bottom line is that I believe in this man...and where he wants to take California...to get past the partisan labels and to get things done."

Now Randy Thomasson of the Campaign for Children and Families:

"This is like George W. Bush appointing Hillary Clinton to be in charge of his administration." (source)

A little consolation: Daniel Weintraub disagrees and calls the Kennedy selection of Kennedy "a smart move."

Update: Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez summed it up, saying, "It leaves many Democrats, as well as Republicans, wondering if Schwarzenegger has any core values at all."