Arnold, Again 

Arnold, Again

Ah, Arnold. He ran for governor without revealing any plan for how he would overcome the state's budget deficit, but promised that he would provide "leadership." In his fourth day in office his well of leadership apparently bottomed out, as he threatened state legislators that there would be severe casualties in the election next year unless they adopted his plan to pass the budget problems of the current generation of Californians on to the next generation by borrowing our way out of this mess.

Unfortunately for Arnold, he didn't get elected on a mandate to deal with the budget by borrowing. He wouldn't reveal during the campaign how he would attack the deficit other than to promise to eliminate waste. In fact, he didn't even get half the vote, so he had no mandate at all. So his threats to campaign up and down the state next year to defeat those who oppose him now is kind of empty. It is not at all clear that what he is now offering is what the people of California want or thought they were buying.

It's time to get down to business Arnie. You wanted the job. You got it. Now shut up and do it.

Oh, Arnie, one more thing. You're a politician now. By choice. It's no good to try to call those who oppose you "politicians," as you did yesterday, intending it as a slur, and leave yourself out of that grouping. You ran for office. You won. Politician is your new profession. Deal with it.