Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Is it really that bad? Governor Schwarzenegger says California's budget deficit has reached $20 billion, but there may some strategy behind an inflated figure, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Even if the deficit is alittle lower, starting out bleak can force the hand of the Republicans,who hide behind their "no tax pledge" to avoid responsibility.

Our previous governor, Gray Davis, got in hot water for inflating the budget deficit to push for higher taxes, so it wouldn't be unprecedented for Arnold to be doing the same thing, writes Dan Walters in today's Sacramento Bee.

To his credit, perhaps, the Governor continues to assist health care reform can be passed and signed into law, and wants to bring back a bill with the same elements of last year'sfailed attempt, the Associated Press reports. The one thing he forgetto mention was how he intends to pay for it.

There's more...