State of the Arnold
The Governator looks like all things to all Republicans--and trouble for Democrats.
by Bill Whalen
01/07/2004 10:20:00 AM
URL:http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/572lxwaz.asp
IF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER hasn't turned Sacramento into a circus, then why the big top on the north lawn of the State Capitol? The outdoor tent was erected to accommodate the media crush that accompanied last night's State of the State Address--there wasn't sufficient room inside the grand old building for the 250-plus journalists who wanted to crash the party. Talk about California politics as unusual: the Governator's first appearance before the legislature, followed by wintertime spin patrol al fresco.
As for Arnold's speech, it was short--but to the point. Schwarzenegger spoke for a little more than 26 minutes, including the many pauses for applause. That's roughly half the time most California governors devote to what's supposed to be a visionary speech. He may or may not downsize government, but after this and his 15-minute inaugural address, Arnold's definitely downsized political oratory.
Something else Arnold resisted: the now-familiar practice of singling out "heroes" in the gallery. There were no teachers or entrepreneurs or servicemen returned from Iraq to tug at the heartstrings. The only spectator the governor acknowledged was California's First Lady, Maria Shriver.
As for Arnold's style--well, he was Ah-nuld: a commanding presence, with a slight trace of ham.
Schwarzenegger began his remarks with a Reaganesque joke ("I've changed my mind. I want to go back to acting"). Later on, he alluded to his pyrotechnic past: "Every governor proposes moving boxes around to reorganize government. I don't want to move the boxes around; I want to blow them up." Still later, in offering himself as
California's new pitchman, Arnold reflected on some not-so-boffo box office: "I can sell tickets to my movies like 'Red Sonja' or 'Last Action Hero,' you know I can sell just about anything. California is the easiest sell I've ever had."
As for the serious stuff--governing--Schwarzenegger approached the legislature as he would the first tee at Pebble Beach. Only, instead of a driver, he went with a fairway wood that was more about accuracy and placement than distance and show. Here's the text.
FIRST, Schwarzenegger called on both parties to work with him to pass his California Recovery Plan--the $15 billion bailout bond and spending limit on the March ballot. That's smart politics. Without the plan going through, the rest of the year disintegrated into fiscal chaos. To underscore the bipartisanship, Schwarzenegger announced that a Democrat, state controller Steve Westly, would co-chair the ballot initiative.
The second portion of the address fell under the broader category of "shared pain." Schwarzenegger made clear that what he considers to be a "spending crisis" won't be solved by higher taxes ("The people of California did not elect me to destroy jobs and businesses by raising taxes. I will not make matters worse."). That pleased conservatives, as did his call for reworking the Indian tribes' gambling contract, to kick back a larger portion of their casino profits to Sacramento. The governor also said he'll save taxpayers $2 billion by "consolidating" unspecified education programs. Democrats will counter that he's cutting education spending; Arnold can rightly point out that, even with the $2 billion "consolidation," schools are still getting more money in his soon-to-be-released budget. |
