Friends of Karen Bass Pack Capitol as She Becomes Speaker of California Assembly

Her politics are personal and rooted in her work as a community organizer

By Frank D. Russo

You had to be there. In fact, you can be there by watching the standing ovations and laudatory remarks by Democrats and Republicans—and a wonderful heartfelt speech by Karen Bass as she assumed the role of the second highest office in the state of California—the Speakership of the California State Assembly. This was a day that history was made as the first African-American woman to lead a state legislative body in the United States took over the helm.

Karen Bass has a lot of new friends as a result of being Speaker. Governor Schwarzenegger was on hand to witness the ceremony and sat on the dais along with five former Speakers of the Assembly, state constitutional officers, and even the President pro Tem of the Oregon Senate. After saying he would miss Fabian Nunez, who had just joined a “fraternity” of former speakers—one day to expand to be a sorority also--said wonderful things about her. So did Mike Villines, the Assembly Republican leader—who thanked Nunez for the collegial style in which the house had been run and then spoke of the Assembly and Bass in terms of friendships.

In her speech, Bass mentioned many members by name and tied unique characteristics of their districts to the individuals representing them. There was an underlying theme of the interconnectedness of the 80 members of the California Assembly and a warmth towards them as people. You can read the text of the prepared remarks and the challenges she gave to her fellow members as to what “we” have to do—in particular in solving the state’s budget problems. Today, in her first full day on the job, these words may be overshadowed by the mid afternoon news of the May revisions of the budget, sobering news indeed. But if you get a chance, watch the speech she gave yesterday and her interactions with others. You’ll get a feeling for the person that words on the page do not reflect—along with a few deviations and additions to it—as delivered.

Karen Bass (in red) listening as Albert Torrico, who she appointed Majority Leader yesterday, speaks on the Assembly floor before she is sworn in as Speaker

But what was most impressive yesterday throughout the Capitol in Sacramento were the friends of Karen Bass—those she has worked with in her community in Los Angeles—some who have known her since her junior high school days—who rode on buses, getting up at 3 in the morning to be there on this special day. I remember reading in school about the election of Andrew Jackson as President, a great man of the people and how when he was inaugurated common folk inundated the White House in celebration with mud on their boots. Yesterday, the fine folks that came to our state Capitol from far away did not have mud on their boots. But boy was the place packed and did it look and feel different from most days.

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