Ready and Abel

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tapped a moderate Republican to fill the lieutenant governor's vacancy, a move that could ultimately bring Democrats closer to a two-thirds majority in the Senate," Steve Harmon reports. "The Republican governor selected Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, to succeed John Garamendi, who was elected earlier this month to the U.S. Congress, announcing the choice in the taping of the Jay Leno show Monday."

Neither house has to confirm Maldonado, but either house can reject the governor's pick in the next three months. The Bee's political team reports Maldo may face a tough confirmation road in the Senate , where four members are delcared candidates for the Lite Gov's job in 2010.

"Maldonado's selection ruffled feathers among Republicans who hated to see him rewarded after splitting with GOP colleagues on raising taxes, and among Democrats who want Garamendi replaced by someone within his own party.

"Why would Democrats confirm a Republican for statewide office?" said John Burton, state chairman of the Democratic Party.

But not everybody was offering their congratulations. One of Maldonado's Senate colleagues, Jeff Denham, who is running for lieutenant governor, said "I anticipate a rigorous confirmation process for this appointment and potentially an even more rigorous Republican primary for Lt. Governor. It is difficult to see how a candidate who has voted for a massive tax increase could possibly win a statewide Republican primary."

Hey, we know what you're thinking this holiday season. You're thinking that Meg Whitman doesn't have enough campaign advisers, right? Well, CalBuzz reports that more help is on the way.  

"Mike Murphy, the blunt-spoken, sharp-tongued, smart aleck Republican strategist who has advised such clients as John McCain, Mitt Romney and Arnold Schwarzenegger, is joining Meg Whitman’s campaign for governor, two reliable sources told Calbuzz.

"Whitman, who has already spent more than $20 milllion, decided to shake up her campaign on  Friday, Nov. 13, one source told us, and add  another layer to her consultant-rich organization.

"Murphy is widely known in the business for his skill in dealing with the media, which could help eMeg’s dreadful relations with much of the California press; although she has enjoyed a host of often fawning profiles in national publications, she has strained relations with many of the state’s major media outlets. Most recently, the Wall Street Journal described her  “thin skinned” attitude towards the press, a charge she answered by saying many of the newspapers seeking access to her would soon be out of business."

With all the excitement, we almost forgot the daily dose of bad budget news. For today's edition, we turn to Kevin Yamamura. "After an economic collapse, estimates now show that debt service could consume as much as 10 percent of the annual general fund budget by 2014-15 – an "unprecedented" ratio, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office.

"The latest debt warning comes weeks after lawmakers and Schwarzenegger placed a new $11.1 billion water bond on next November's ballot. Backers of the measure say the state desperately needs a water system overhaul.

"Until this year, the state had not spent more than 5.7 percent of its general fund on debt, according to Department of Finance records dating back to 1976. The ratio now stands at 6.7 percent.

"Treasurer Bill Lockyer warned in a report last month that a 10 percent debt ratio "would require cutting even deeper into crucial services already reeling from billions of dollars in reductions." Fiscal conservatives warn that it also increases pressure on lawmakers to raise taxes.

Paul Pringle reports on the growing battle between the LA Times and Mark Ridley-Thomas . "Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has declined to release any records of communications between his office and a longtime associate who has been employed by corporations that do millions of dollars of business with the county and a rail project that Ridley-Thomas helps oversee.

Ridley-Thomas similarly rejected Times requests for any e-mails, memos and letters involving the companies that hired the associate, Cynthia McClain-Hill, earlier this year.

"The Times has reported that federal authorities have questioned people about Ridley-Thomas' ties to McClain-Hill and her employment with a joint venture managed by Flatiron Construction, which is building the $862-million, taxpayer-funded Expo Line light rail train. McClain-Hill, a lawyer who owns a lobbyist firm and has contributed thousands of dollars to Ridley-Thomas' campaigns, also works for Unisys Corp., which provides computer services to the county. Under the California Public Records Act, The Times sought more than nine months of records, including copies of the supervisor's appointment calendar and telephone bills.

"On behalf of the supervisor, the county counsel's office said the records sought by The Times, including many of the calendar entries, were exempt from public disclosure requirements because he was entitled to a private "deliberative process." Open-government advocates disagreed.

"The privilege they are citing is one that is grossly abused," said Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. "If you're a public official, you can get away with hiding a lot of stuff by invoking the magic words 'deliberative process.' It's indefensible."

Joe Garofoli keeps up ono Carly Fiorina's latest campaign claim -- she's not a white man. 

"On Monday, she told a gathering sponsored by the conservative mag The American Spectator (this month's cover: Obama snuggling with FDR) that she'd be a better candidate to beat Boxer because the senator knows how to beat white guys.

"Says Carly: "With all due respect and deep affection for white men -- I'm married to one -- but [Boxer] knows how to beat them. She's done it over and over and over."

Unfortunately, Carly included one "over" too many. One of the ahem, "white men" that Boxer vanquished was Matt Fong, who is Chinese-American."

Details, details...