Jerry Brown Surprised He Still has to Work with Republicans

According to the New York Times (so take it all with a grain of salt), Jerry Brown’s associates “say he appears bewildered and stunned by how much Sacramento has changed since he first served,” 100 years ago in the Eagles, granola, peaceful easy feeling Linda Ronstadt era:

Mr. Brown has told friends he was unprepared for the extent, in his view, to which Republicans have not made sufficient efforts to accommodate him on critical issues, like putting on the ballot measures to extend taxes to avoid budget cuts.

In one case, Mr. Brown told a friend, he said he felt like “we weren’t even on the same playing field” in negotiating face to face with a Republican lawmaker who would not accept his assertion that most money in the California education budget did not go to administrative costs. Mr. Brown said he finally just stood up and left the meeting.

Again and again, he said, he has found that approaches that once worked — inviting Republicans to dinner rather than attacking them, offering measured concessions on issues like pension cutbacks and spending, trying to rally public support for what he described as balanced proposals — were no longer effective.

“He is aghast,” said Jodie Evans, a longtime associate who had recently had dinner with Mr. Brown in Oakland. “He reports on some of the conversations, like he couldn’t believe the narrowness or lack of comprehending by public officials. He said, ‘Some of my old tools aren’t going to work.’ ”

Really? Can’t imagine why Republicans would be reluctant to work with Jerry:

As Drew M. writes at Ace of Spades:

Seriously? He thinks that in today’s climate Repubs will accede to tax hikes? Note that the suriviving Repubs in the state legislature are the most conservative ones – the middle of the roaders got eaten up by Dems. (similar to the House in the 2010 bloodbath – only in the other direction)

… he has found that approaches that once worked – inviting Republicans to dinner rather than attacking them, offering measured concessions on issues like pension cutbacks and spending, trying to rally public support for what he described as balanced proposals – were no longer effective.

You Schmooze, You Lose. The Dems sure made that crap work with Arnie. They buttered him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. And feasted on him.

Naturally, Jerry blames right-wing media bias:

He (Brown) invoked the National Legion of Decency … describing what he said was the decisive power exercised over Republicans by four forces: by anti-tax leaders here and in Washington, by a conservative radio talk show in Los Angeles, and a conservative Web site.”Any two of those can stop any bill in the Legislature where Republicans are needed,” Mr. Brown said. Republicans, he added, “basically work for them.”

Wow! Talk Radio and a Blog. It’s A New Effin’ World!

Do you know what blog he’s talking about? Lemme know, I’ll update this. (ExPFCWintergreen says it’s The Flash Report.)

Al Gore could not be reached for comment.