SACRAMENTO — You've got to wonder why anyone would fight to become a Republican leader in the Democratic-dominated Legislature.
The governor is nominally a Republican, but he seldom sides with GOP lawmakers on major policy issues and doesn't help them much politically.
Republicans are badly outnumbered -- 25 to 15 in the Senate, 48 to 32 in the Assembly. That means they're powerless to stop any legislation that requires only a simple majority vote. Their relevance is mostly as naysayers: They can block money bills -- budgets, tax hikes -- that need two-thirds majorities.
The Democratic bosses -- Senate president pro tem and Assembly speaker -- usually defer to the Republican leaders' requests on the choosing of committee vice-chairmen. But they don't have to. And it depends on whether the Democrat has a beef at the moment.
It's not like decades past in the pre-polarized, pre-term limits era when minority leaders -- Sen. Ken Maddy, Assemblyman Bob Monagan -- were moderates flanked by pragmatic centrists and could work deals with Democrats to move the state forward. Occasionally, they'd even finesse significant Republican bills through the Legislature.
Today, being minority leader tends to be a thankless job, although it does pay better than what an ordinary legislator makes -- $133,639 annually instead of $116,208. And in the Senate, the GOP leader occupies a big, handsome office in the historic, domed wing of the Capitol. But ambitious wannabes often are measuring the drapes, kibitzing and plotting a takeover.
One such plotter for more than a year was Sen. Dave Cogdill, 57, of Modesto. Two months ago, he was chosen by Senate Republicans as their new leader. On April 15, he'll replace the soon-to-be termed out Dick Ackerman of Irvine. Cogdill could hold the job for the equivalent of an eternity under term limits -- until 2014.
I asked him why he sought the job.
"Everything I've ever been involved in, I've been very fortunate to rise to leadership," Cogdill said. "I enjoy being in positions of leadership."
He rose to captain of his volunteer Fire Department in Mono County. Ran for the fire district board at age 25 and became chairman. Got a job as a trainee in the county assessor's office and wound up as chief appraiser. Moved west over the Sierra to Modesto and opened an appraising business. Got elected to the City Council.
