“Registration in the state GOP trails Democrats by 12 percent. Four out of five Republicans are white, dramatically different from the state as a whole, in which roughly four out of 10 are white. Is the GOP in an unstoppable downward spiral?”

Yes, the California GOP has become like the Hawaii GOP

“Aside from the budget — a dubious achievement at best — has the current legislative session produced anything yet of substance? Can you think of a major legislative accomplishment in 2009?”

Blueberry commission.

There are a couple important bills about foster kids. One would give them more time in the

“It’s All-Star Week in Major League Baseball, so it’s appropriate now to ask you to pick your favorite All-Star lawmaker, current or former.”

John Burton is an All-Star…he knows how to put together a deal that doesn’t violate his values.  Too little of that happening around here since he’s been gone.

“The governor is digging in his heels and trashing the Legislature, the speaker says the Big 5 meetings are a waste of time and the state has gone to IOUs. Will this budget imbroglio ever be resolved?”

Not in our lifetime..

Well, um, yes — it has to be resolved.

“What happens now on the budget?”

Now that IOU’s are a done deal, they hammer out a compromise. It may take a week. It will involve structural budget reform and trade Cal Works and Cal Grant survival in a reduced form. It will be a total budget solution, probably with cigarette taxes.

“Juan Arambula, a lifelong Democrat from Fresno, has fled his party and re-registered as a Decline-to-State. Is this an isolated event or an indication that Assembly Democrats are in turmoil?”

Arambula is smarter than your average bear is. He also is a moderate CV Democrat who always has shown an independent streak.

“It’s clear that California’s budget fight, inevitably, has come back to new taxes vs. cuts. How can this be resolved?”

By overturning the two-thirds vote requirement on new taxes.

The Governor’s position determines the next steps. If the Governor stands firm against Democratic tax proposals, the Democrats will be forced

“The governor and the Senate’s leader predict a budget will be passed and signed by the end of the month? Wishful thinking or is a new era dawning?”

A new era has dawned — the Era of We’re Out of Tricks. The budget will be signed by the end of the month,

“So what’s with the Integrated Waste Management Board? It’s at the top of the governor’s hit list, as he made clear in his address to the Legislature. But why?”

You’d think he would’ve delayed appointing three former legislators to the Board if he intended to eliminate it since he has now built

 “The state Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8. What’s the next step? Another campaign on the 2010 ballot, a gubernatorial election year?”

California stays straight until kids in elementary school today grow up less homophobic than previous generations and register to vote. A World War III of politics, both in the gov’s