Stop the Bleeding, Fast

Some Democratic leaders in the Legislature should put aside their increasingly hostile political relations with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and quickly confirm the governor’s nomination of Bruce McPherson as secretary of state. Outgoing Democrat Kevin Shelley will leave the office a shambles and under a political cloud on March 1, when his resignation becomes effective. McPherson should be able to step in immediately and begin to restore public confidence to the office.

To his credit, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) says the chamber will confirm McPherson’s nomination “as fast as we can.”

However, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) is questioning whether McPherson, a former Republican state senator, can bring a nonpartisan approach to the office, which is charged with overseeing state elections and other duties such as chartering corporations.

The answer is simple -- he absolutely can. In fact, McPherson may be the only one of the potential candidates for the job who can do that and do it quickly. It’s unclear what kind of test McPherson needs to pass to demonstrate his ability to be fair and impartial, beyond his outstanding record of a decade in the Assembly and Senate. The last moderate Republican in the Senate, McPherson was forced from office by term limits at the end of last year. He is well liked by members of both parties, served as chairman of the Assembly’s Elections Committee and was active in election law legislation in the Senate.

Nunez may be looking for fights to pick with the governor to demonstrate the independence of the legislative branch, but this is not a smart one. It only makes him seem petty. The Legislature has 90 days to confirm or reject McPherson’s nomination. In the absence of a negative vote, he would automatically assume the office.

Democrats did not want a Republican politician who, with the power of incumbency, would have a good chance of winning election to a full term in 2006. That was wishful thinking; the governor wasn’t about to irritate his own party by nominating a Democrat. McPherson says he has given no thought to running for the post in 2006.

If he chooses to run, McPherson would be a strong candidate for retaining the post for Republicans, depending on his success in righting this damaged ship in the interim. That’s politics.

The important point now is that McPherson get to work as soon as possible.