This is a short tale of time and money.

During a meeting yesterday in Sacramento with a lobbyist to go over 2021 planning, we were interrupted by these two emails:

10:03 a.m. – Governor Newsom announces he has appointed California Secretary of State,  Alex Padilla, to take Kamala Harris’s seat in the United States Senate.

10:08 a.m. –  Padilla sends out a blast email to donors requesting financial contributions for his future political campaign war chest.

While we all know money is the mother’s milk of politics,  the speed-of-lightening request for money made for optics that were enough to make even the most jaundiced cynic blush. I wish Padilla well, but begging for money before the ink is dry on your new appointment is not a good look.

Some time ago, when I lived in The District, there was a joke that went like this:

Q: “What is the fastest amount of time that can be measured?”

A: It’s the moment after a traffic light turns green and the car behind you honks its horn.  

I think it is safe to say it is time for the nation’s capital to update this joke.