Republicans hear ‘fluff’ in Newsom’s speech as Democrats rally against recall campaign
California Democrats and Republicans were united on one thing after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State speech: Their political agendas for the year will center on whether he keeps his job.
Newsom spent his near 30-minute speech at an empty Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles touting his COVID-19 record, from issuing the nation’s first stay-at-home order, to establishing a robust vaccination campaign and providing providing billions of dollars in grants and financial support for small businesses affected by the economic shutdown.
But Newsom’s speech wasn’t just about California’s battle to defeat COVID-19. The public address offered an opportunity for an embattled governor to plead his case for maintaining his executive suite in the California Capitol.
“I know our progress hasn’t always felt fast enough,” Newsom said. “And look, we’ve made mistakes. I’ve made mistakes. But we own them, we learn from them, and we never stop trying.”
Democrats coalesced around the governor, and defended what they characterized as his grit and tenacity as the Golden State’s leader.
“I think that if anyone doubts Gov. Newsom’s commitment to the COVID response, they should watch this speech,” said Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis. “He demonstrated his command of the issues, his leadership and his 24-7 work in leading this state through a very difficult time.”
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, likewise characterized Newsom as effective in global public health crisis.
“Could someone have done better under these conditions,” he said. “I don’t think they could.”
Defending his record, Democratic leaders also said Newsom’s vision for the next year will help California come out of the worst health crisis in a century. They argued he’s committed to solving the state’s homelessness and funded programs to maintain the social safety net.
And, they added, he’s set aside billions in this year’s budget to reopen schools, prop up small businesses and keep low-income families afloat.
“I think the governor made an absolutely good case today about why a recall is absolutely an irresponsible thing to be considering right now,” said Sen. President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego. “When this governor is working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and actually making sure that we have resources going to those critical needs.”
But for Republicans, the speech only laid bare Newsom’s failures.
Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita said Newsom’s speech was “the opening salvo in the recall campaign” rather than a speech to outline legislative priorities for the next year.
“It was basically a defense of his administration over the last three years,” Wilk said. “And to me, he is ‘Governor Fluff and Puff’. It was all fluff and trying to puff up his record, which doesn’t exist.”
Wilk and his Republican colleagues lambasted Newsom, arguing he unnecessarily shut down the economy, oversaw a disastrous unemployment agency and caved to union pressure to keep schools closed longer than they had to be. They said it was time to end orders that handed Newsom executive authority a year ago, and reestablish the Legislature as a co-equal branch of government.
“The governor is good at making speeches and promises, but where are the results,” Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido said in a statement. “The governor decided long ago to go his own way with handling COVID and the meager results speak for themselves.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 9:02 PM.