Democrats Get Second Chance to Bungle Lieutenant Governor Nomination

Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento are at each other's throats again, though thankfully this time the state's budget doesn't happen to hang in the balance.

Instead, it's the appointment of Republican State Senator Abel Maldonado to Lieutenant Governor by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The position was left open when former Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi was elected to congress.

Schwarzenegger already appointed Maldonado once, over objections from the party's right wing, and the latter was confirmed by the state senate.

But 37 members of the state assembly, all Democrats, voted against a confirmation. It was a majority, but a slim one, and not of the entire assembly, just the voting members present.

Because of that, the governor's office threatened to seat Maldonado anyway.

Democrats in the assembly threatened to sue. Now Schwarzenegger says that instead of leaving it up to the courts, he's going to renominate Maldonado.

Because that worked out so well the first time.

California's Lieutenant Governor doesn't do much, unless the Governor is out of the state.

But it's an easy paycheck and a line on a statewide resume, and Democrats don't want one of their own to have to run against an incumbent in November.

Jackson West would like to see more partisanship, in the form of more parties, in California politics.