Bob Hertzberg to Broker a Compromise on California Special Election?

Dan Weintraub interviewing former California Assembly Speaker and L.A. Mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg, listening in is Patterico.

The San Jose Mercury News has Democrat is drafted to broker ballot talks.

In a last-ditch effort to strike a deal with legislators and avoid a divisive fall campaign, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has turned to Democrat Bob Hertzberg to help broker a compromise.

The former Assembly speaker who served on Schwarzenegger’s transition team has injected new life into the negotiations over the Nov. 8 special election and several of the eight initiatives on it, according to sources familiar with them, and spurred talk of an agreement that aims to modify term limits.

Is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger getting SQUISHY again?

Is he lacking the political will to proceed with an election which he has already won?

A legislative compromise could forestall a costly battle over issues including measures to limit state spending, undercut public-employee unions’ campaign funds and redraw legislative and congressional districts.

The talks involve the Republican governor, Hertzberg, administration Finance Director Tom Campbell and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles.

“The fact that Hertzberg’s in the room means that these are serious talks,” said Dan Schnur, a GOP strategist who worked for former Gov. Pete Wilson. “Probably no one in the state of California is better equipped to get both Schwarzenegger and Núñez to find any common ground. He’s one of the few people that both Schwarzenegger and Núñez trust.”

“Conversations ebb and flow,” said Margita Thompson, the governor’s press secretary. “It’s a dynamic situation.”

The Governator should concentrate on raising campaign cash and come out guns ablazing!

He really has little choice without alienating his conservative Republican base.

The deal could temper term limits to allow lawmakers to serve 12 years total in one of the Legislature’s two houses, instead of being restricted to six years in the Assembly and eight in the Senate. In exchange for the governor’s support for that change, which would have to be passed by the state’s voters, Democrats would back a rewritten redistricting measure to protect it from court challenges — one that would give redistricting power to a panel of retired judges instead of the Legislature.

Talks also center on education spending, the provisions of the Schwarzenegger “Live Within Our Means” initiative that would limit spending and whether to give the governor authority to cut the budget midyear.

Still, some lawmakers and legislative observers said they remain skeptical any deal can win approval from both Republicans and Democrats.

And time is running out. Today is the deadline for the Legislature to put any more measures on the special-election ballot, but it could vote to place them on a supplemental ballot — at an added cost to taxpayers — as late as Sept. 2.

A deal to change the term limits law would not curry favor with the people of California who have not supported the change in any recent poll.

Also, the Governor should make the Democrats run on opposing Proposition 77 and explain the blatant Democrat gerrymander to the voters.

Any late back-room deals brokered by Democrat and Former California Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg or anyone would break the Governor’s moral authority of reform for holding the special election, lead to a splintering of his coalition, hurt his fundraising efforts, alienate already mistrustful conservatives and make him look a GIRLIE- MAN.

Bring on the election, Governor.

Technorati Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Recovery Team, California Special Election, Bear Flag League, Bob Hertzberg

Cross-posted to the Bear Flag League Special Election Page