Forgive me if this was posted yesterday, but I wanted to bring attention to it on the relatively slow weekend diary board, as this is news with long-range political consequences for Blue California.
This is excerpted from yesterday's LA Times (reg req'd)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-secretary12feb12,0,5456808.story?coll=la-home-local
-- Choosing a Republican ally whose politics mirror his own, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday nominated former state Sen. Bruce McPherson as California's chief elections officer.
snip
McPherson, 61, was the most liberal Republican in the Senate until term limits forced him out last year. Since then, he has considered reentering politics while grappling with the 2001 slaying of his son, Hunter, during a botched robbery.
-- more snips and discussion below
A popular lawmaker on both sides of the aisle, McPherson is the temperamental opposite of Shelley, whose mercurial personality and regular tantrums contributed to his downfall. Schwarzenegger said McPherson would be a bipartisan leader and praised his experience with election issues while a legislator.
"I talked with both Democrats and Republicans before we really made the final decision," Schwarzenegger said at a news conference. "And they all love Bruce McPherson. It's amazing how many people love this guy and respect him."
The nomination presents a political conundrum for Democratic lawmakers. Though many are friendly with McPherson, the party does not want to lose the secretary of state's office in the 2006 election, and McPherson's appointment would give the GOP a boost in that contest. Republicans held none of the eight statewide offices before Schwarzenegger ousted Democrat Gray Davis in the 2003 recall election.
snip
But Republicans were quietly pleased over the prospect of a party member who has repeatedly shown he can win in a heavily Democratic area -- Santa Cruz -- first in a 1993 special election to the Assembly and then to the Senate in 1996. McPherson lost a 2002 bid for lieutenant governor, 49% to 42%, but gained experience in that statewide run.
snip
Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) said his house would confirm McPherson "as fast as we can."
"He's well-known to all of us, well-respected by all of us, moderate politics, good integrity," Perata said. "As far as I'm concerned, it was a smart decision on the part of the governor."
The next secretary of state has his work cut out for him. California risks losing tens of millions of federal dollars unless it meets tight deadlines to create a more accurate database of legitimate voters and takes steps to help counties make it easier for the disabled and blind to cast ballots in secret.
In addition, state law requires that by June 2006 all of California's electronic voting machines include a paper receipt that allows voters to check the accuracy of their ballot. --
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Comments
Bruce McPherson was my state senator until 2001, and is the only republican I have ever voted for. He is a staunch environmentalist and defender of California's coasts from development, and fought the huge cruiseship companies who wanted to use No Cal ports for their floating crap factories. McPherson was forced out by term limits or would still represent Santa Cruz, one of the four most liberal districts in the state and one which NEVER elects republicans for any other office.
What does environmentalism have to do with running elections fairly and enforcing campaign laws? Nothing, but what we have here is a DECENT republican. What more could we pray for in an Ahnold appointment?
This appointment shows considerable politcal savvy on Ahnold's part, and continues in the same vein of moderation that saw the placement of former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell as the gubernator's budget chief last month. Campbell was previously my congressman, I never voted for him, and he was excoriated and doomed when he voted to impeach Clinton despite the massive opposition of his constituents. Nonetheless he's a Stanford Economics professor and a high technology advocate who will balance the influence of the chamber of commerce types.
Both of these guys have higher political ambition. And both are steadfastly pro-choice and pro-gay (Campbell might even BE gay...) two absolute requirements for being elected statewide in Cawifonya.
I will probably never vote for another republican, but I'm glad to see Ahnold promoting the few decent ones around.