Schwarzenegger's D.C. rep departs

Today marks another departure in Gov. Schwarzenegger's administration. David Wetmore, who has served as assistant to the governor and director of his Washington, D.C. office since early 2005, is leaving to join Carpi & Clay, a California-based government relations firm. A Republican, Wetmore held the same post for Schwarzenegger that he did under Gov. Pete Wilson, directing the then-governor's D.C. office. Though Schwarzenegger began his governorship surrounded by Wilson veterans, including chief of staff Pat Clarey, few remain. As for Schwarzenegger's relationship with Washington, that has been hit and miss. As many legislative Democrats love to note, he claimed he would go to D.C. as the "Collectinator" but has met with little success in terms of wrestling more money for the state. When Democrats took over Congress earlier this month, Schwarzenegger said, "I think it’s good that there are new ideas and new blood because Washington was stuck. They could not move forward, not much was accomplished. I think it was terrible" In a release, the governor's office credited Wetmore with helping secure federal funds for fix the state's levees, negotiating a hospital financing waiver to protect health funding and garnering more transportation dollars. Wetmore will stay on until the end of the year and a replacement has not been named.