The Skinny

A special Capitol Weekly bon voyage to Sam Aanestad staffer Linda Halderman, who is off to Pago Pago in American Samoa. But the trip is not a regular get-away. Halderman will serve as a general and trauma surgeon to help people in the tsunami-ravaged  region who need medical attention. Halderman will be taking a leave of absence from her Senate duties until January 1. In an e-mail to colleagues announcing her leave of absence, she wrote, “Ironically, the largest expense I need to cover while on leave is the premium for my health insurance.  Medical, dental and vision coverage premiums for 90 days run over $2,000.  I guess health care reform hasn’t quite hit California.”… Meanwhile, it was party week for Democrats as Jerome Horton celebrated his confirmation to the Board of Equalization, and Assemblyman John Perez celebrated his 40th birthday. Hey, who knows? Maybe Gov. Schwarzenegger will sign one of the nine bills Perez has on his desk as a little birthday present. And congrats to baby Assemblyman Steve Bradford, who celebrates his special election victory with a ceremonial swearing in tomorrow in Gardena. Bradford has actually been serving since early Sept., though his arrival was overshadowed by a “messy” story that broke around that time…