CA Secretary of State
Keven Shelley has
announced that he will resign, allowing GOP usurper Schwarzeneggar to appoint a replacement. The Democratic legislature must presumably confirm der Fuhrer's pick, but this is a further step to the GOP takeover of California, or Bush Sr. called it,
"The Big Enchilada".
Losing Davis in a an attack based on the looting of CA by Arnie's buddies at Enron was bad. Now the SOS who won against Diebold and protected the integrity of CA elections is brought down on a swarm of questionable issues. Some blame his fall on his lack of friends in Sacto. Interestingly the governator is now releasing the HAVA funds that were to be 'audited' as part of the Shelley witchhunt.
The reactionary proposal banning gay marriage was a white hot issue in many states, amping up turn-out for Bush, but it was not on the ballot in California - a fact that helped keep the state in the Democratic column this time.
It stayed off the ballot there because California's secretary of state (the state's top election official), who can ease the path of ballot initiatives or throw up hurdles in their way, is a Democrat and he kept it off.
The lesson from California is that state-wide office holders - not just governors but also the unglamourous, but important, secretaries of state in each state - can have a disproportionate impact on the outcome of federal elections.
Of the 11 states that passed initiatives banning gay marriage, all but three (Oklahoma, Oregon and Michigan) have Republican governors and one of those, Michigan, has a Republican secretary of state.
The bottom line is this: state-wide offices matter and they matter more to a party in opposition, particularly one that has been effectively shut out of the three big houses in Washington.
You can bet that Republicans will mount a big push to win as many such offices as possible in California in 2006. Schwarzenegger will likely coast to a second term, but a lot of Republican dollars will be spent to unseat Kevin Shelley as secretary of state.
The Guardian said this back on Nov. 12.
It looks like the GOP has invested up front to take out another democrat without an election.
Until recently, we were all assured that Shelley would stick it out, but his friends have shown him the door. .. or maybe he got a better deal.
Just take a moment to compare Shelleys alleged minor misdeeds with the unabashed abuse of power by Blackwell and Harris.