Audacious Arnold takes on the incumbent-protection racket

California has long been considered politically unreformable, but that isn't stopping Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from trying. John Fund reports that he is engineering a showdown with the overwhelmingly-Democrat state legislature over his goal of depoliticizing the congressional redistricting process.

The art of gerrymandering has been refined to the point that politicians can, in Fund's words, "select the voters they want, rather than citizens choosing their representatives." The Democrats and Republicans had a wink-wink agreement in the last round of redistricting that preserved every single incumbent in the state legislature, and ensured that no open seats changed parties.

The governor's plan calls for stripping the legislature of the redistricting task, and placing the responsibility on a commission of retired judges (none of whom have ever served in elected office). The commission's mandate would be to draw districts that are as compact as possible, and which don't unnecessarily split cities and counties. Read Fund's article for more details.

Fund concludes thus:

In tackling redistricting, Mr. Schwarzenegger faces a daunting political challenge. Five times in the past, voters have rejected redistricting reform, including similar commissions. Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown boasted in the 1980s about his ability to put what he called a "con job" over on the voters by convincing them that redistricting reform would harm the environment and workers' rights. Early polls show voters favor the governor's plan by only 46% to 40%.

But redistricting reform has never had a proponent with the stature and tenacity of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has previously demonstrated his ability to take esoteric subjects such as workmen's compensation law and turn them into populist battering rams. Look for a lot of nervous incumbents to start attacking the concept over the next six weeks as Arnold's Army of signature collectors turn Costco and Wal-Mart stores into recruitment centers for an epic political battle in California this fall.

Grab some popcorn. This may end up being one for the ages.