Shaking up his administration after a resounding special-election failure, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday appointed a longtime Democratic activist and a former top aide to the man he kicked out of office as his new chief of staff.
The announcement of California Public Utilities Commissioner Susan Kennedy as Patricia Clarey’s replacement caught many Republicans and Democrats off guard. Kennedy was Cabinet secretary to former Gov. Gray Davis, who was ousted in the 2003 recall election that brought Schwarzenegger to power. She also is a former director of an abortion rights group and one of the highest-profile gays in state politics, making her appointment a risky one for the Republican governor.
