Why I Went to Work for Arianna

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A renowned police abuse activist -- who launched the website that drafted Arianna Huffington into the California governor's race -- speaks out about why he thinks her candidacy is vital to progressive politics in California.

The California GOP is up to no good, as usual. The question is: What should progressives do about it? Should we stand on the sidelines, shaking our heads during this unprecedented fiscal and political crisis? No way. Should we rally, once again, to defend the failed and compromised California Democrats -- who have presided over unconscionable environmental devastation and a massive incarceration boom? Double no way.

We shouldn't stand aside for the power-grabbing Republicans, who initiated the recall attempt. Nor should we defend the broken status quo under failed Democratic Governor Gray Davis and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Instead, the time has come for us to recover from our "post-Nader" shell-shock, roll up our sleeves, and turn this attempted "right-wing coup" into a successful, bottom-up rescue of the state.

Most of us know in our hearts that California's Democratic Party no longer deserves passionate support from progressives. Not even in the face of this GOP-led attack. The truth is that leaders of the California Democrats helped create this mess. With Republicans running amok, I know that's hard to hear. But it's true.

For one thing, California ain't Texas. And it ain't Washington, D.C. Today, California is a de facto "one-party state" run by Democrats. The Democrats control both U.S. Senate seats, most U.S. House seats, nearly two-thirds of the state legislature, most mayoral positions, a majority on most city councils, and every single state-wide office (from the Governor's office all the way down to the Insurance Commissioner). The Republicans may run the country, but they don't run much of anything here in California.

On the contrary: California's GOP is just a marginal collection of warring fringe groups, hopelessly divided between so-called "moderates" (who hate most people) and Neanderthals (who hate everybody). Even in the midst of the recall, three major GOP candidates are in the race, mainly fighting each other.

Because most California voters are pro-choice, the only Republicans who stand a chance in state-wide races are "moderates" like Arnold Schwarzenegger (who says he is pro-choice, pro gay rights, pro-gun control and who is willing to court people of color). True right-wingers like Bill Simon and Tom McClintock simply cannot win here. Period.

So while progressives rightfully fear the national GOP, we have little to fear from these state-level clowns. More importantly, we must not let our outrage at the national GOP blind us to the California Democrats' unconscionable crimes.

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