For he’s a jolly good fellow

August 20th, 2008, 3:38 pm · 1 Comment · posted by BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento Correspondent

It’s easy to forget with this budget mess, but technically the two-year legislative session is supposed to end in just about 10 days. And during these waning moments, it’s tradition in the State Senate to take a break and recognize termed-out members who won’t be back next year.

Today was Dick Ackerman’s day and his tribute on the Senate floor was like the man himself — dignified and funny.

Ackerman, of course, was the Senate Republican Leader from 2004 until earlier this year and he’s genuinely loved by Republicans statewide and in Orange County especially, where he’s practically an institution. But what was so noteworthy about his tribute today was how many Democratic senators rose to say something nice about their political enemy.

To some extent, it’s expected that Senate Leader Don Perata would say something nice. As counterparts, they’d speak practically every day.

And it’s no surprise that Orange County Sen. Lou Correa would say something either. He and Ackerman have fought epic battles, particularly Correa’s 2006 campaign against Ackerman’s choice, Lynn Daucher, but hey, they’re both OC boys in a LA-dominated Legislature. They’re cool.

But I have to admit, I was surprised to hear so many random Democrats get up and speak wistfully about their “love” for Dick Ackerman, arguably one of the most conservative lawmakers in Sacramento and a man famous for his habit of voting no. Sens. Sheila Kuhel (D-Santa Monica), Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach), Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara), Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) – serious liberals here talking about how great Dick and his wife, Linda, are. “Honorable” and “statesman” were being thrown around so much you would have thought they were talking about one of their own.

Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, even said, “You’re a great man. I just really love you. You’re a wonderful person. And I thank you so much for being who you are, even though you’re very conservative.”

Ackerman, of course, got loads of accolades from Republicans as well (although I have to say I was surprised fellow Orange County Republican Sen. Tom Harman made no effort to speak) but the Democrats’ comments were in many ways more interesting, particularly when they spoke of how much they admired Ackerman’s commitment to his conservative ideals, even if they didn’t agree with them.

But today was more than just complimenting Ackerman on his honesty and integrity, of course. (Although numerous people did that, including Orange County Sen. Bob Margett, and Sen. George Runner, two of Ackerman’s closest buddies.) No, today was also a chance for some good ribbing and there was a lot of it.

Republican Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta opened the tribute with several good digs about Ackerman’s legislative acumen (”His staff has informed me in his 13 years he has passed a remarkable 33 bills. That is an average of 2 and half bills a year. … But those are not frivolous bills. They are important legislation. Banning the BCS.”) and his notoriously quiet nature (”As many of you know, he is a man of very few words. He does not talk very long when he does speak and he does not speak very often. It is in that vein that I wanted to begin by telling you about my first time I ever spoke to Sen. Ackerman. … I received a call, ‘This is Dick Ackerman. Rod Pacheco has asked me to call to find out if you’re running for the Assembly.’ I said, ‘Yes I am.’ He said, ‘OK, thanks.’ I can’t tell you how much that has affected me my whole career. Ladies and gentlemen, still waters run deep.”).

From there it was pretty much open season on poor Dick, with lawmakers cracking on him for his love for yachting (and hatred for the yacht tax), his dry sense of humor and, well, how much everyone likes his wife better than him.

In all seriousness, however, I was struck by how the other lawmakers’ impressions of Ackerman matched my own. I’ve gotten to know the senator as well as any of Orange County’s lawmakers and I’ve always found him to be upfront and forthright — and a complete college football nut, like myself.

Two themes were hit upon time and again during the tribute — that you could trust whatever Ackerman told you and that he was obsessed with the sports teams of his alma mater, UC Berkeley. And I couldn’t agree more.

Ackerman’s never lead me astray in my time up here and he’s always followed through on promises of interviews and information. Always. I’ve also never met someone who was so current on a sports program. Dude knows his Golden Bears.

So I guess you could say I’m going to miss the big fella too although I’m pretty sure we haven’t heard the last of Dick Ackerman.

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