It's RINO, and it's always convenient to claim "Ahnold" isn't a "real" Republican, for you folks who get a lot of your useless input on things like the HSR fiasco, from hacks like Ken and John, and their "talking points" from "talk radio".

And, that "associative" connection you have, and "urban myth", about Pete Wilson being a champion for the San Diego Trolley, is BS. Petey didn't have squat to do with the original San Diego Trolley, and I seem to remember, even opposed it back when it started. It was Jim Mills, one of the most respected Democratic leaders on transportation issues, in the State Legislature, back in the 70's, that is probably the one person most responsible for getting the Trolley started.

And, yes there was also plenty of "bi-partisan" "damn the torpedoes" support for "Ahnold's" Federal funding, at the expense of the other State Rail priorities, for the CAHSRA fiasco from Feinstein and Boxer, And, I agree, Brown had neither the balls, nor the inclination to do much to fix the CAHSRA fiasco, and challenge Feinstein over it.

I worked with both the Republican Deukmejian folks (is he a RINO too, sort of like Reagan is now a "RINO" to the current Putin-Trump loving cult members these days?) and with the Wilson Administration, on various transportation issues back then. And, let me make it clear, Petey (and his people) was a useless autocratic dick, who blocked us from buying the Coast line for that bargain price of $400 million from Phil Anschutz and the SP, and stiffed the State Rail and Transit programs. Whereas, Duke (probably one the better transportation Republicans I've seen in my career), worked well with the Legislature, and got things the carpool lane system built, by not being a third rate partisan hack and useless tool, like Wilson.

I've staffed, and been appointed to public positions, or committee's I've served on, by more Republicans than Democrats in my career. But, I've generally had the pleasure of working for folks that were mostly serving in public local "non-partisan" government positions in California. I've worked with Republicans from the Duke, to Mike Antonovich (Mouse seems to believe he's another "evil" RINO, like Reagan...?).

However, I've also served for, advised, or worked closely with folks like Kenny Hahn and Adam Schiff on things like the original Blue Line measure, and on the Gold Line Authority legislation in the State Legislature, and found them to be dedicated honest public servants, who tried to do the "right thing" to get those projects done "right"...

And, if it is "outcomes" matter (that's how I judge policy success), doing things "right", seems to matter... The Gold Line was done right, thanks largely to bi-partisan cooperation between folks as diverse as Schiff and Antonovich, as opposed to the kind of divided "rudderless" and bitterly partisan political leadership and accountability (or lack thereof?) on things like the SMART Board.

I've also spent a weekend in El Centro with a pretty dubious Democratic politician, Bob Filner where I was "blown away" by what I saw (what happens in El Centro, stays in El Centro behavior) that left me wondering how long he'd be around before it all came back to haunt him, And, watched a Republican County supervisor who's office I'd worked with, go down, with an ounce of meth, a hooker he'd just picked up, and a suitcase with $100,000 in bribes he'd taken from the developer, for his vote (he was out celebrating you see....). So corruption of individual moral character seems pretty bi-partisan, too....

As a result of what I've experienced in my career, when I hear the simplistic partisan twaddle, using words like RINO, and repeating ignorant clap trap propaganda "memes" from people who are bleating fools on talk radio, babbling nonsense about which ideological extremist or partisan hack in more "pure" or "corrupt", I just laugh.

If you want to fix any of these things you think need fixing, and aren't just some delusional "true believer", I suggest that you look at what people actually do, not the bulls#it you've heard from dubious sources, or think you know, or that you wish were true, projecting your expectations on leaders that may or may not really be what you think they are.

Now, back to bed for Bobby....