How To Be Post-Partisan: Declare Yourself 'The Best'

In a speech to journalists in Universal City yesterday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once again called for post-partisan cooperation on overhauling California's out-of-whack health care system. Schwarzenegger, channeling his wife, Maria Shriver, even quoted former Kennedy advisor Ted Sorensen:

"There are problems more important than party labels. Problems require practical solutions, not dependent upon ideology, personality, or political history."

The post-partisan governor then proceeded to reject two health-care ideas floating around the Capitol: "Some say it should be market-driven. Others say that government should run the system. The system we have now is market-driven, but it does not work. We have also seen state-run health care in the prisons, and that hasn't worked."

Finally, the governor concludes in prepared remarks:  "But if you take our proposal as a whole, I think you will agree it is the best reform plan anyone has come up with." [Emphasis added.]

Schwarzenegger is doing what he's supposed to do - sell his own legislative plan to the public. At the same time, he's telling the ideological "extremes" on both ends that their ideas are meaningless and they better "jump on board the progress train." Sounds like ordinary politics.

(Photo: Max Whittaker / Reuters)