What does an isolated Republican governor hailing from the nation's largest state with the largest budget deficit and lowest bond rating do to maintain relevance? Cozy up with Barack Obama.
More on the flip.
In the waning years of Arnold Schwarzenegger's tenure as California's Governor, the muscleman turned actor playing politician who has based his short political career on riding the lonely center of a polarized Sacramento is banking whatever political capital he has left on another executive who too has broken from his party's partisan mold.
After Arnold failed for months to budge any of his Senate Republican counterparts to support his budget plan, it took moderate Republican Abel Maldonado, who demanded and received concessions largely important only to him, to break the gridlock and pass the budget. Yet, more bad news came for the state and Arnold this week: revenues are falling $8 billion short of expectations.
Fortunately for Arnold, a popular president flew into the state this week and, by week's end, the trip was proving to be mutually beneficial to the two executives.
As the week evolved, the AIG bonus flap conflagrated virtually out of control. By Wednesday, Obama, notably unlike his predecessor, admirably took responsibility for the raging issue before a town hall crowd of 1,500 in Orange County:
"I know Washington is all in a tizzy, and everybody is pointing fingers at each other and saying it's their fault, the Democrats' fault, the Republicans' fault," Obama said. "Listen, I'll take responsibility; I'm the president."
On Thursday, Obama ventured the short distance north to Los Angeles where he was:
showered with effusive praise from the state's Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a "leader in economic recovery" - and in turn offered encouragement for the governor's reform initiatives which will be on a special election ballot in May.
That night, Obama appeared on the Jay Leno Show and, while attempting to make light of his less than envious bowling skills, offended many with his Special Olympics gaffe. Yet, just as Sarah Palin and Republican talking heads pounced on Obama, after Obama again took responsibility, Arnold rose in Obama's defense:
"I know, because of conversations I've had with the president about Special Olympics ... I know where his heart is," said the Republican governor, a weightlifting coach for Special Olympics since 1979. Schwarzenegger's mother-in-law, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the group.
"Every one of us sometimes makes a mistake, right?" Schwarzenegger added, "Something comes out of your mouth and you say, 'Oh, I wish I wouldn't have said that.' "
After Arnold's wife, Maria Shriver, showed she was none too pleased with Obama's comment, her brother Tim, Chair of the Special Olympics, was a little more forgiving after Obama expressed remorse:
"He expressed his disappointment, and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population," Shriver said Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America." He added that the president wants to invite Special Olympic athletes over to the White House to bowl or play basketball.
What's to make of this lovefest? For Arnold it's simple - when your party isn't showing you the love and your popularity is tanking along with the state's economy, you go to where the money is. Right now the spigot flows in Washington - exactly where Arnold was Friday, defending Obama with outstretched hands.
Update: Thanks to those who pointed out the Maria/Tim Shriver mix-up. Now edited.