From inside the pipeline: Yet another of the old Team Schwarzenegger looks headed out the door. This time it is gubernatorial legislative secretary Richard Costigan, the conservative former chief lobbyist for the California Chamber of Commerce. But not to return to the Chamber. I’m told he’s had a job with Ameriquest, the wildly controversial mortgage lender (the company recently reached the second largest predatory lending settlement in U.S. history), lined up for months. (Why do I think that Harvey Rosenfield, Jamie Court, and the professional Arnold-haters at ArnoldWatch will have a field day with this?)

But, contrary to the fears of conservative Republicans, who amusingly see the shadow of Maria Shriver and her supposedly very liberal politics everywhere, the First Lady doesn’t want him gone. He is not a victim of a “liberal” purge in the new Governor’s Office. His ideology notwithstanding, Costigan is said to be quite adept at buttering up the First Couple. And Shriver knows that an R in hand is worth one or two in the bush. Still, even with Costigan’s top-of-the-line government salary controversially supplemented with private campaign contributions, Ameriquest can pay far more. And with his political margin for error all but used up, the wounded governor no longer has the luxury of doing things the Chamber of Commerce way in this election year.

0 Responses to “Another One Bites The Dust? Not Exactly”

  1. Barbara says:

    He and Pat Clarey should have been fired no later than late Feb -early Mar 2005. The Guv makes a state of state in 2005 touting a legislative “reform”package that was non-existent. What did they do all of 2004? No inside vetting then they outsource to people who can’t write or proofread…Ameriquest…eventually we will have Susangate…you need to write the definitive book on this…it will be a great read…and I amsure a bestseller

  2. Bill Bradley says:

    I wanted a different story.

  3. Ann says:

    Arnold Watch.org is juvenile. They won’t reveal their funding, what kind of reformers are they? They are owned by the trial lawyer lobby. It is sad that Schwarzeneger gives them ammunition. He should re-read his recall campaign speeches. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

  4. miranda says:

    I am a Democrat. I voted for Arnold because I was fed up with the corruption with Gray Davis. This is what we get, lobbyists getting government jobs and making themselves rich. I am so disgusted and angry I want to throw up.

  5. Barbara says:

    I did too…want a different story….but we are not going to get it. First Wilson saddles him with his staff and now his wife has saddled him with Davis’s staff…this is California …so many talented people in the private sector ,nonprofit and government….what does he do use a bunch of retreads from failed administrations…I consider Wilson just as much a failure as Davis …nothing happened there except driving off a generation of Latinos from the Rep party I am just praying it is only a generation …

  6. Adam says:

    Barbara makes a good point which touches on a point I made on another thread about how these people keep getting recycled despite the fact that they’ve done a lousy job. There are some people who do look for talented people in different sectors–I worked on a US Senator’s staff that was comprised of people from many different fields–academia, private sector, non-profits, think-thanks, etc. It was a great staff and well respected. It was NOT comprised of people who’s main motivating factor in life is ambition.

  7. Barbara says:

    I like ambition…there is something else going on here …political incest

  8. Adam says:

    If you like ambition than you should love Gray Davis and Phil Angelides.
    You should love Hilary Clinton too.

  9. Barbara says:

    So Sorry… can’t abide a one of them ….nothing to do with ambition..I love ambition …engine of creation …you have understand Ayn Rand was my bible at 14…and if I can’t find my Cagney then I will settle for Howard Roark ….I gotta go to work..Toodles

  10. Adam says:

    Ayn Rand is suitable for teenagers and no one else. :-)

  11. Bill Bradley says:

    Recycling people is nothing new in politics. Even term limits don’t stop politicians from recycling, and consultants/aides/advisors/etc. have no term limits other than death or terminal disgrace. And the latter is pretty uncommon. The trick is knowing who can do what and putting the pieces, i.e., people and missions, together appropriately.

  12. Barbara says:

    Mr. Bradley: no good. too much political incest up here …. they are getting too predictable…

    Adam: I agree. But the the Howard Roarks of this world …now they are for real women…that was my last word on this …like you I am here to hang on every word Mr.Bradley utters…

  13. Adam says:

    Bill, of course recycling is nothing new, but my point is that it’s not the only way to go. And I think recycling has been partly responsibe for the dumbed-down nonsense that constitutes our political discourse. There are rarely, if ever, truly new ideas and new approaches. Real leadership that challenges the accepted ‘wisdom’ and status quo thinking is not just discouraged, but attacked.

    I’m a cynic, but I have the heart of an idealist.

  14. Bill Bradley says:

    Of course you are right. Politics gets downright boring at times because of it.

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