Brown’s Successful Second Act

The New York Times notes California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) “is enjoying a degree of success and authority he and his opponents could scarcely have imagined when he returned to Sacramento to begin a second tour as governor in 2010.”

“The state’s budget problems are largely resolved, at least for the short term. Mr. Brown is the dominant figure in Sacramento, strengthened by overwhelming Democratic control of the Legislature and the decline of the Republican Party. He has pushed through major initiatives on education financing and prison reorganization. Even Republicans say his re-election next year seems considerably more than likely.”

“Brown is not saying whether he will seek re-election, but it seems
nearly unthinkable that he will not. He does not appear to be even
slightly worried about his prospects.”