How Do You Define “Non-Partisan”?

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When Bruce McPherson was appointed California Secretary of State by Governor Schwarzenegger, conventional wisdom held he would take a decidedly non-partisan approach to the office. Capitol pundits swooned over his impartiality.

Now, it seems, he has abandoned any pretense of non-partisanship and is quickly showing himself to be just another Schwarzenegger lapdog.

Let’s take a look at his shifting position on Schwarzenegger’s Proposition 77:
“It's a tough criterion, ‘but I think the lines could be in place for next year,’ he said during an informal news conference.

“It was an abrupt shift of direction for the former Santa Cruz legislator, who said several weeks ago that backers of the redistricting measure, who include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had no chance of having the new districts ready for next year's elections.

“‘There is no way we'd be able to do it by 2006,’ McPherson told the Sacramento Press Club in May. ‘Maybe 2008, but that's a question mark.’” (San Francisco Chronicle, August 16th, 2005.)

OK, so he shifted positions. It’s not like he’s trying to curry favor among Republicans for ambitions of his own, right?

“Secretary of State Bruce McPherson signaled Monday that he intends to run next year to retain the post he assumed…” after Kevin Shelley resigned in March.

“I think we're doing the job that the general public wants. …And if I feel this way after the special election, I'll be announcing my intention to run,” ("McPherson Might Run", Sacramento Bee, August 16th, 2005)

I guess Bruce learned it is best not to bite the partisan hand that feeds you.

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