The convention wisdom in modern American politics is that in a primary, a Republican should run to the "right" and a Democrat to the "left" -- seeking to tie down core base voters of their party. Then, in a general election, the candidates who emphasize those issues that would appeal to voters in the other party.
Apparently no one has given John McCain the important memo -- the one that has two parts. First, you're in a GOP primary. And the second -- you do not get the 'internationally famous movie star turned politician' exemption to this rule.
And what exactly is Fleischman deriding as "environmental extremism"? He appeared with Arnold to talk about climate change. More after the flip...
From the LA Times
"I would assess this administration's record on global warming as terrible," McCain said, recalling that he got "no cooperation from the administration" at Senate hearings on the subject. He pronounced himself "very happy to see the president mention global warming and a renewed commitment from the administration to this issue." But he added tartly: "It's long overdue."
Wow, so this is "environmental extremism"??!! But wait, it gets better! Fleischman calls out Arnold's "lurch to the left".
Last year, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's lurches to the ideological left that most infuriated GOP leaders and activists around California was his calling for the passage of Assembly Bill 32, dubbed by the environmental-extremist community as the "Global Warming Solutions Act" -- legislation which has called for increasing regulations in California to fight an alleged nexus between human action and global climate change...
Apparently John McCain doesn't know, or doesn't care that this legislation that McCain heralded yesterday at an appearance with Governor Schwarzenegger was that only one Republican legislator, a moderate from San Diego, out nearly 50 in the State Capitol, voted for this ill-advised legislation.
Wow, so now Arnold's signing of AB 32 into law is "environmental extremism"? Even though he is hardly even acting to ENFORCE THE NEW LAW? Even though Arnold talks about market trading schemes, but does nothing to enforce the new regulations?
Oh, and can we really call John McCain an "environmental extremist"? Look at the bill he is co-sponsoring with Lieberman. Though it is a good first step, the legislation still does not cut emissions as much as we need to. I guess that if this is "environmental extremism", then Barbara Boxer and Bernard Sanders have really "fallen off of left cliff" with their legislation that calls for reductions in carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions to 80 percent below their 1990 levels by 2050.
But hey, if Fleischman really wants to move his party to the extreme right with extreme denial of reality, then more power to him. : )
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