Those working for the independence of South California will find more ammunition in Gov. Jerry Brown’s pick for the state Supreme Court, Goodwin Liu. The appointee is a radical left-wing professor at U.C. Berkeley (where else?).

Republicans themselves have a lot to answer for in their own appointees to the Supreme Court. Recently retired Chief Justice Ronald M. George, appointed by Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, himself was a radical left-winger on the court.

But Republicans are right to criticize the new appointment. Reported the Chronicle:

State Republican Chairman Tom Del Becarro promptly called it “a predictable but bad pick.” Liu’s nomination “sends yet another signal that California is not a safe place for employers or jobs,” because, Del Becarro said, his belief in a Constitution that evolves over time will encourage lawsuits.

Naturally, Gov. Jerry was effusive in his praise of Liu:

Liu has “the background, the intellect and the vision to really help our California Supreme Court again be one of the great courts in the nation,” Brown said at a news conference. He said the only criticism of Liu has come from “some of the more fanatical Republicans … the ideologues on the right.”

From Jerry’s perspective, anyone to the right of Pol Pot is an “ideologue on the right.”

Ironically, Latinos — Democrats’ major demographic group — are upset that the only Latino on the court, Carlos Moreno, was not replaced by another Latino after his retirement in February.

“It feels like we’re taking a huge step backward,” said Victor Acevedo, president of the Mexican American Bar Association.

The story didn’t note it, but the Liu appointment comes after last year’s election, in which the California Democratic Party nominated not a single Latino to the nine statewide offices on the ballot. A total wipeout for Latinos from the Democratic Party. By contrast, Republicans nominated two Latinos.

The whole nonsense by Gov. Jerry, himself a lawyer and former attorney general, that the nomination of justices is about judicial temperament, is transparent. It’s all political. Did he even consider a highly qualified Republican? Of course not.

So, Acevedo has a point. The appointment is “a huge step backward” — not just for Latinos and Democrats, but for the whole state.

And the appointment is another reason why California needs to be split at least in two.

July 27, 2011