Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Many voters were expecting Gov. Schwarzenegger to be leading the pack on budget negotiations rather than floundering in the background, the Sacramento Bee reports. One Stockton resident interviewed by theBee said Arnold is "just kicking it." Another said he had high hopesfor the Governor but has now returned to "sobering reality."

Dan Walters has taken upon himself to attack Sen. Carole Migden forpromoting fair electoral reform while endorsing the measure that iscovered in partisan slime. What could possibly be fair about aninitiative that would essentially hand an Ohio-size electoral prize to the GOP candidate without changes in any other states? And he has the nerve to say Democrats are playing politics with this issue.

The "year of health care" promised by the Governor is in danger of becoming no more than a sound bite if the budget impasse continues,the San Jose Mercury News editorializes today. The Merc suggests Arnolddrop his "mandated coverage" provision while Democratic leaders onlyrequire businesses with more than 10 employees to provide coverage orpay into the pool.

Legislative Republicans should drop their demands for Attorney General Jerry Brown to withdraw lawsuits against local governments that contribute to global warming, theBakersfield Californian editorializes. There may be a legitimate policydebate there, but it has nothing to do with the budget.

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Photo courtesy of the state Capitol Museum.