Wednesday, June 07, 2006
The Accidental Governor
Forgive me if I seem to beat a dead horse, but the current election campaign for governor of California has an uncanny resemblance to the recall election of three years ago. In the Recall Election, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the beneficiary of a personal quarrel between two prominent Democratic office holders. In the coming election, he may again reap the benefit of a quarrel between two of his opponents.
In 2003, I was appalled when Kevin Shelley, the Secretary of State at the time, decreed that the California Recall Law required that, in addition to the question of whether to recall Governor Davis, the voters should choose his successor. I argued then and I still believe that the California Recall Law, which stipulates that an election shall be held for the successor of the official if it is appropriate, should not apply to the governor because the State Constitution specifies that the Lieutenant Governor shall succeed to the governorship if the governor leaves office for any reason.
My "dead horse" is that there shouldn't have been an election for Gray Davis's successor at all. If he was recalled, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante should simply be sworn into office. I asked several of my friends why Kevin Shelley had made the decision that Bustamante would not automatically succeed to the office. One of them told me that the decision was not made by Shelley but by the State Attorney General, Bill Lockyer. Lockyer's reason was that he had a grudge against Bustamante for something that had happened years earlier, and therefore decided that an election would be appropriate to choose Davis's successor if the recall vote went against him.
Bustamante and Schwarzenegger both were on the ballot in the election to succeed Davis. Lockyer at one time stated that he had voted for Schwarzenegger. I consider the governorship a gift from Lockyer to Schwarzenegger.
In the recent Primary Election, candidates Angelides and Westly attacked each other viciously and in a misleading manner. A few days ago I read an article in the Los Angeles Times that cited a feud between the campaign managers of the two candidates. I believe that the resulting negative campaign has hurt the chances of either Mr. Westly or Mr. Angelides to defeat Mr. Schwarzenegger next November. Lucky Arnold may again be the beneficiary of a quarrel between two influential Democrats.
In 2003, I was appalled when Kevin Shelley, the Secretary of State at the time, decreed that the California Recall Law required that, in addition to the question of whether to recall Governor Davis, the voters should choose his successor. I argued then and I still believe that the California Recall Law, which stipulates that an election shall be held for the successor of the official if it is appropriate, should not apply to the governor because the State Constitution specifies that the Lieutenant Governor shall succeed to the governorship if the governor leaves office for any reason.
My "dead horse" is that there shouldn't have been an election for Gray Davis's successor at all. If he was recalled, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante should simply be sworn into office. I asked several of my friends why Kevin Shelley had made the decision that Bustamante would not automatically succeed to the office. One of them told me that the decision was not made by Shelley but by the State Attorney General, Bill Lockyer. Lockyer's reason was that he had a grudge against Bustamante for something that had happened years earlier, and therefore decided that an election would be appropriate to choose Davis's successor if the recall vote went against him.
Bustamante and Schwarzenegger both were on the ballot in the election to succeed Davis. Lockyer at one time stated that he had voted for Schwarzenegger. I consider the governorship a gift from Lockyer to Schwarzenegger.
In the recent Primary Election, candidates Angelides and Westly attacked each other viciously and in a misleading manner. A few days ago I read an article in the Los Angeles Times that cited a feud between the campaign managers of the two candidates. I believe that the resulting negative campaign has hurt the chances of either Mr. Westly or Mr. Angelides to defeat Mr. Schwarzenegger next November. Lucky Arnold may again be the beneficiary of a quarrel between two influential Democrats.
