Schwarzenegger Must Prepare to Sell Himself to Legislators

Sacramento

The TV news clip that still amuses Capitol pols is the one of Arnold Schwarzenegger presiding over his first “Big Five” session.

This was the governor-elect’s get-acquainted meeting with the Legislature’s top four leaders on Oct. 22. In the photo-op, Schwarzenegger is leaning into the camera and proclaiming: “Action, action, action, action! That’s what people have voted me into this office for.”

Politicos remember the four “actions.” But what they recall even more vividly was the look of veteran Senate leader John Burton (D-San Francisco). After the second “action,” Burton turned to Schwarzenegger -- sitting next to him -- and stared in mock bemusement, sort of rolling his eyes.

“I was biting into a piece of celery,” the powerful Democrat replied when asked what was going through his mind. He added: “It was like, it takes a little while to wind down from the campaign trail....

“I’ve been around long enough to have seen all this [nonsense]. Slowly but surely, his campaigning will be over, and that’s when he’ll deal with the stuff or not.”

In other words, “action, action” sound bites won’t cut it now with the voters who really matter: the senators and Assembly members needed to pass legislation.

Neither will “I’m gonna clean house” and “kick some serious butt.”

In fact, Schwarzenegger should resist the temptation to follow the easy path along the old campaign trail and, instead, stay in-house and spend some serious time with lawmakers.

That is, if he really is sincere about dealing with the “stuff” -- a nagging budget shortfall of at least $10 billion, plus the workers’ compensation reform and regulatory relief that Schwarzenegger’s business patrons consider so important.

The low-hanging stuff -- grabbing back driver’s licenses from illegal immigrants and slashing the car tax -- are emotional talk-show favorites, but more symbolic than substantive solutions to state problems. A new governor shouldn’t waste much time on them unless he’s caught up in “politics as usual.”

If Schwarzenegger gets lured by anti-tax conservatives into borrowing, say, $20 billion over a 20-year period to pay for our current daily bills -- a credit card punt not even Gov. Gray Davis would have dared -- then he will need to be on the road selling skeptical voters.

He might indeed enjoy that more than governing. “I sold myself to

But if Schwarzenegger wants to approach budgeting rationally and responsibly -- with cuts and taxes so this generation can pay its own way -- then he’ll need to sell himself to the Legislature.

And, regardless, he’ll need to do that with workers’ comp and regulatory relief, because it’s unlikely the electorate would pass pro-business ballot initiatives over strong labor opposition.

There has been speculation that Schwarzenegger might be an air-commuter, spending two, maybe three nights a week in the capital, but most evenings in his Brentwood home. This was Davis’ M.O., and everybody knows how well that turned out.

“He may work in Sacramento all day Monday, but go home and see his kids and then on the way back stop in Fresno for an event,” a Schwarzenegger advisor told me recently. “His political capital still derives from being with the people.”

But he will spend “quite a bit” of time in the Capitol, this aide continued, because “we want the people to know he’s here in Sacramento working.”

More important, he’ll need to be here to achieve the meaningful “change” he has promised. The power brokers and his top appointees all are here.

How much time? “A lot,” says a Democratic strategist.

“He’s a very famous movie star in this hick town. Everybody would love having drinks with him in public. He could blow up a lot of existing relationships if he played it that way.”

Here’s another thought: Schwarzenegger loves fancy cigars, and there’s hardly a more relaxing place to smoke them than an open patio inside the governor’s “horseshoe” office complex. Especially on a balmy summer evening when the Legislature is bickering over a budget.

Invite key lawmakers for smokes and perks.

One rationale for not hunkering down in the Capitol no longer is valid, if it ever was.

There was an old way of thinking that a governor needed to be in L.A. to get on TV. That was a false premise, anyway, since L.A. TV rarely covered recent governors. But Schwarzenegger has changed everything.

This governor could stroll outside his office door and get on newscasts in every TV market. Stations are reestablishing bureaus in Sacramento after having left town when Jerry Brown did.

After the Big Five meeting, Senate GOP leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga pointed out that Schwarzenegger “has the unique ability to go over our [legislative] heads and talk directly to the voters.”

True. He can pressure lawmakers through their constituents, as Ronald Reagan did. But he’ll have to try to show legislators the light -- up close and personal -- before asking the public to make them feel the heat.

And to do that, he’ll need to be here in action, action....