Governor Goes on the Road With His Threat to Unseat Democrats

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ramped up his campaign against the Legislature on Friday, promising to “unseat” Democratic lawmakers who were blocking passage of his $103-billion budget.

Schwarzenegger urged lunchtime diners at a restaurant in Long Beach to call lawmakers and demand passage of his budget, now 2 1/2 weeks overdue.

Afterward, he expanded on his frustrations in an interview. He said he planned to call a special election next year and put before voters a proposal to convert the full-time Legislature to part-time status. Although Schwarzenegger has spoken occasionally about the idea, this was the first time he had specified how he would go about it.

“I will go out and I will campaign against all of those that are trying to do business as usual,” he said. “That’s what we have to do. And I ask the people to help me change Sacramento -- make Sacramento accountable. Make it work for the people.”

Despite the threats, Schwarzenegger’s political team has identified less than a handful of competitive races in which Democratic incumbents might be in danger of losing their seats.

Schwarzenegger had kept a largely cordial tone through weeks of futile budget negotiations, but lost patience Thursday, declaring that the talks were in “chaos.” He signaled that he would become more combative and Friday took his case to voters in Southern California.

Meanwhile in Sacramento, Democratic lawmakers maneuvered to persuade voters that they were not the ones causing delays.

A joint budget committee quickly approved a Democratic spending plan Friday morning, in what was widely considered a largely political exercise. Democrats passed the plan hoping to show that they -- unlike their Republican counterparts -- were prepared to complete a budget.

Sen. Dede Alpert (D-San Diego) said the plan reflected “our best understanding of where we have come after much negotiation.”

But the Schwarzenegger administration said the Democrats approved a version of the budget that the governor did not necessarily endorse.

For their part, Republican lawmakers dismissed the vote as a sham.

“It is political theater,” said Senate Budget Committee Vice Chairman Ross Johnson (R-Irvine), who expressed optimism that serious progress would happen next week. “I do believe cooler heads are going to prevail and we probably ought to get this bit of theater over with as soon as possible.”

His frustration mounting over the delay, Schwarzenegger said he would raise and spend campaign money to target uncooperative Democrats, adding that the party’s “leadership right now is very obstructive.”

“We want to make sure the people stop them. Judgment day is in November. I want the people to know that in November is the election. If they’re not satisfied with the budget, then there will be a lot of new faces after the November election.”

Schwarzenegger’s political team has assembled a list identifying at least two Democratic incumbents who might be targeted in the November elections: Assemblywomen Barbara Matthews (D-Tracy) and Nicole Parra (D-Hanford). The governor’s camp might also pump campaign money into half a dozen other legislative districts with open seats.

Democrats said they were not intimidated. Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco), who has served in the Legislature on and off since the 1960s, said: “It makes no sense at all for him to be taking that position. There’s nothing new happening here that hasn’t happened with every governor that I can remember around budget time.

“And he should have either known that or should get used to it or just realize that he was elected governor and to my knowledge -- I haven’t checked it out -- may not have been elected God,” Burton said.

Art Torres, the state Democratic Party chairman, said of Schwarzenegger: “He consistently threatens; he never produces.”

As part of his budget campaign, the governor phoned two conservative radio talk shows Friday, and he is to visit the Ontario Mills mall today and a mall in Stockton on Sunday.

Gone is the praise that he heaped on legislative leaders in the last eight months. His message is tough.

“We’ll see how [legislators] respond after tasting steel for 72 hours,” said Rob Stutzman, the governor’s communications director.

Believing that his political strength rests with average voters, Schwarzenegger is betting that such public appearances will do more to reinvigorate the negotiations than prolonged meetings in the Capitol.

“Don’t worry about anything. You’re going to have ‘The Terminator’ to protect all of you,” he told a group of teenage students lunching at California Pizza Kitchen in Long Beach.

After the governor stopped at his table, 16-year-old Alex Braden of Covina said he might tell his parents to phone their lawmakers and relay Schwarzenegger’s message.

“It’s just another mess,” Braden said. “We haven’t passed a budget on time for many years. It’s getting kind of ridiculous, and I can see why he’s down here to try and push people to get involved.”

Thirteen-year-old Carly Hill said: “Arnold is even cuter in person. I just called my mom. I told her Arnold shook my hand and he gave a great speech.”

If Schwarzenegger tries to influence legislative races, that could divert him from what is expected to be a difficult and expensive campaign to defeat two gambling initiatives on the November ballot.

He may be forced to spend more time raising campaign money so he can compete.

Challenging the governor, several Indian casino owners have agreed to underwrite what could be a $50-million initiative fight over whether tribes should have unlimited expansion rights on their land.

Rather than stretch himself thin, some Democratic leaders said, Schwarzenegger should revert to the conciliatory approach that he used successfully in his first months in office.

“The question for the governor is: Will he be the leader who brings all sides to the table and gets people to agree somewhere in the middle? Or is he going to be a bully?” said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles).

“Maybe in the movies he comes off well pushing people around,” he added. “I don’t think he’s pushing me around. Those are pretty direct threats he’s making, but we’re focused on doing this budget. That’s where our efforts are.”