Jerry Brown reigns in political arena

In an age of caustic partisan division, Gov. Jerry Brown sits in the political catbird seat as he prepares to lay out the agenda for the rest of his term in a State of the State address to Californians on Thursday in Sacramento.

The 74-year-old Democrat, whom conservatives once derided as "Gov. Moonbeam," is often lavished these days with praise from California Republicans. They say Brown is the reigning "adult in the room" at the Capitol, where Democrats control both houses of the Legislature.

Brown is being lauded by many Republicans as their last best hope to keep the Democratic supermajorities in the Assembly and state Senate in line, thanks to a unique combination of his trademark love of bon mots spoken in Latin, a famously cheapskate approach to finances, and political skills and resume unrivaled in the state capital.

"Are you sitting down? Because the only thing standing between a wild and crazy Legislature and you is Jerry Brown and his wild and crazy veto pen," Republican strategist Joel Fox told an audience of GOP insiders in Los Angeles recently. "He is like the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae stopping the hordes coming through the pass."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/politics/artic...#ixzz2IpdZP7m0

overall i would have to agree. he has been much better than i thought and is one politician that has kept most, if not all, his campaign promises.