It's take two for Jerry Brown as California Governor. How's it going Jerry? [ArthurK]

Although I live here I don't follow local politics closely so I can't comment on this as much or in as much depth as I'd like. So I half-assed it!

NYT takes a look at JB's second round in destroying governing California.

Jerry Brown ran for governor on the argument that his age and experience was what California needed to rescue it ...

... he appears bewildered and stunned by how much Sacramento has changed since he first served.

Mr. Brown has told friends he was unprepared for the extent ... to which Republicans have not made sufficient efforts to accommodate him ... like putting on the ballot measures to extend taxes to avoid budget cuts.

Seriously? He thinks that in today's climate Repubs will accede to tax hikes? Note that the suriviving Repubs in the state legislature are the most conservative ones - the middle of the roaders got eaten up by Dems. (similar to the House in the 2010 bloodbath - only in the other direction)

... he has found that approaches that once worked - inviting Republicans to dinner rather than attacking them, offering measured concessions on issues like pension cutbacks and spending, trying to rally public support for what he described as balanced proposals - were no longer effective.

You Schmooze, You Lose. The Dems sure made that crap work with Arnie. They buttered him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. And feasted on him.

Balanced! I bet it's the same balance Obama offers - tax hikes now, spending cuts... later. Maybe.

Republicans strongly disputed Mr. Brown’s view that they have been intransigent ... Brown was unwilling to give on issues like pension cutbacks or spending caps because of allegiance to labor unions. They said he failed to appreciate how strongly they saw taxes as a threat to the economy.

"The governor needs to stop making excuses and get the job done ... I think he actually thought he could operate the same he did when he was governor last time: Strictly pick off votes. This is a different culture."

The Repub survivors have spine.

Even though Democrats outnumber Republicans in the Legislature, state law requires a two-thirds vote on tax bills.

I dimly recall that was put in place by voter proposition.

"The Republicans are far less engaged and independent than they were 30 years ago," Mr. Brown said. "The Republicans then were very independent. Everything was not a party-line vote."

Back then, they rolled over. And that's how we got in this mess.

He (Brown) invoked the National Legion of Decency ... describing what he said was the decisive power exercised over Republicans by four forces: by anti-tax leaders here and in Washington, by a conservative radio talk show in Los Angeles, and a conservative Web site.

"Any two of those can stop any bill in the Legislature where Republicans are needed," Mr. Brown said. Republicans, he added, "basically work for them."

Wow! Talk Radio and a Blog. It's A New Effin' World!

Do you know what blog he's talking about? Lemme know, I'll update this. (ExPFCWintergreen says it's The Flash Report.)

_{^{Also, I tweet at @ComradeArthur}}

(posted from draft by DrewM.)

posted by Open Blogger at 12:21 PM

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