SCHWARZENEGGER V - The Right Wing Strikes Back? Ehh, not so much...

Not so happy Republicans in California, but they don't seem to think that they'll do anything about it. From the LA Times:

I'm getting more e-mails off of this than I do for Viagra," said Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, a grass-roots group, referring to Schwarzenegger's appointment of Susan Kennedy.

"Since the special election, where we were very loyal, all we've heard about was a $50-billion bond and looking at clemency for [convicted murderer and gang leader Stanley] Tookie Williams," Spence said. "I think the Kennedy thing was just the last straw. There's not even one Republican in the state to be qualified as chief of staff?"
...
"I think she sends the wrong message to the Republican base," Ackerman said. "Most people feel if you're a Republican governor, you should have a Republican chief of staff, because they are privy to policy and campaign strategy."

Ackerman said Schwarzenegger "will need a very strong Republican base to get reelected" in a predominantly Democratic state. "The selection of Susan Kennedy can jeopardize it."

Good question Mike Spence! And yet, they don't think they are going to challenge him, huh? Why not? Because they think that it's a ploy? Cause the Democrats do:

For now, most analysts and political veterans said the chance of a GOP challenge was minimal. There are no signs that the one candidate considered a credible threat - state Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) - will drop his bid for lieutenant governor and take on Schwarzenegger. Running as a conservative Republican, McClintock won 1.1 million votes in the 2003 recall election, in which Schwarzenegger captured 4.2 million votes.

Although the governor's latest actions could alienate many of the more conservative Republicans, others see them as an effort to improve his dismal public standing as the 2006 election approaches by moving to the political center.

"This is conceivably the first step in his quickly and visibly marching to the middle," said Darry Sragow, a Democratic strategist. "If he wants to win re-election, that's exactly what he needs to do. In an ideal world, he doesn't so infuriate the far right so that they field [another] candidate, but it's a risk that he has to take."

So long as the Republicans don't think that Ahnold is enough of a sellout to challenge him in the Primary, looks like Kennedy is just another Democrat who's getting had...