Schwarzenegger shakes up staff after election defeats

His appointment of Susan Kennedy as chief of staff caught many off guard.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took the first step to shaking up his administration after his resounding special election failure, appointing a longtime Democratic activist as his chief of staff.
Wednesday's move to replace Patricia Clarey had been widely expected since voters defeated all four of the governor's "year of reform" measures Nov. 8. Clary was campaign manager for the effort.
But the announcement of state Public Utilities Commissioner Susan Kennedy as Clarey's replacement caught many Republicans and Democrats off guard.
Risky appointment
Kennedy, 45, was Cabinet secretary to former Gov. Gray Davis, who was ousted in the 2003 recall election that brought Schwarzenegger to power. She also is a former director of an abortion rights group and one of the highest-profile gays in state politics, making her appointment a risky one for the Republican governor.
"She's a woman that is known as being a hardworking woman, dedicated, and is willing to work whatever it takes to get the job done," Schwarzenegger said at a news conference. "She's willing to set her Democratic philosophy aside and do the job and do my vision -- to be able to work together with Democrats and Republicans."
Kennedy's appointment could help regain the support of Democrats and independents the governor lost over the last year, but it also jeopardizes his standing among conservatives, his only reliable supporters.
"This makes Schwarzenegger a man without a country," said GOP strategist Dave Gilliard, who helped run the campaign to recall Davis. "The Democrats will never accept him or embrace him, and now he's breaking with his base. I don't understand it."
A spokesman for a leading Democrat also appeared puzzled by the appointment.
"Any move by the governor to embrace Democratic values is good news for the state," said Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. "However, it leaves many Democrats, as well as Republicans, wondering if he has any core values at all."
At Schwarzenegger's side Wednesday, Kennedy sought to downplay the partisan labels, seeing her appointment as a historic opportunity to end the political gridlock in Sacramento.
"I believe in this man, and I believe in what he's trying to do for this state and where he's trying to take California," she said.
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