◼ The biggest challenge for California Republicans this year will be trusting Democrats. - SF Gate
There's a lot of loose talk making its way around the halls of the state Capitol these days about Republican irrelevance. Gov. Jerry Brown has made it clear that he is going to bypass the Legislature, where some Republican votes would be needed to increase taxes, and instead push for more taxes via ballot measure.
This strategy follows on the heels of Senate President Pro Tem Darrel Steinberg's declaration last summer that Democrats will be working without Republicans to increase job growth in California. This is a particularly risky course for Democrats...
By declaring Republican legislators to be irrelevant, they are assuming full responsibility for fixing the state government's fiscal health and California's high unemployment rate, itself the result of the accumulation of decades of Democratic-dominated regulatory and fiscal policies....
The smart move for Democrats will be to try to bring Republicans back into the mix. Why? First, voters like bipartisanship - even if it's just for show - and second, Republicans make excellent whipping boys for Democrats. How can you kick around Republicans if they haven't even been invited to the game?
So will Republicans want to play ball? Why would they? Read the rest.
