Spinning cycle

We may well have a new lieutenant governor, but Abel Maldonado's swearing in wasn't exactly a Kumbaya moment inside the Capitol Tuesday.

"The wrangling over his confirmation and the timing of the race to replace him in the state Senate have set a hostile tone between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats in the Legislature as budget negotiations are due to begin.

"Schwarzenegger had been critical of Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) for delaying Maldonado's confirmation until last week, more than four months after Maldonado was selected by Schwarzenegger. Democrats wanted Schwarzenegger to consolidate the special election in Maldonado's Monterey-area Senate district with the November general election. That would have ensured a larger voter turnout and given Democrats a better change to pick up the seat.

"Today, Schwarzenegger called for a summertime special election at an estimated extra cost of $2.5 million for the 15th senatorial district.

"The governor's decision had more to do with a personality clash and power struggle with Pérez, who  dawdled and drew out Maldonado's confirmation to the frustration of the governor in hopes of forcing the governor to combine the two elections. While Schwarzenegger would not feud with Pérez publicly, his staff did little to disavow reporters of that notion when pressed Tuesday."

From our Must Be Nice Files, former Facebooker Chris Kelly dropped another $4 million on his run for attorney general. Shane Goldmacher reports, "The new infusion doubles Kelly’s total personal investment in the race to $8 million.

"In recent weeks, Kelly’s campaign has taken a sharp tone in criticizing one of his primary opponents, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Kamala Harris. The new money means Kelly could take that message to the airwaves via TV ads or pay to have it land it in voter mailboxes. “Politicians shouldn’t be graded on a curve,” he said in a recent interview."

Juliet Williams has the latest on Meg Whitman's efforts to distance herself from Goldman Sachs. "Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman said Tuesday she regrets taking part in a now-banned stock sale practice at Goldman Sachs and said she left the investment bank's board after 15 months because she "wasn't a good fit."

Really? Because back in 2005 a Whitman spokeswoman said  Whitman resigned from the board so that her company, eBay, could continue to do business with Goldman. "Her motive was to allow eBay to continue to use Goldman banking services 'without the slightest hint of conflict,'" according to a Dec. 21 story written by Mary Anne Ostrom, who now serves as Whitman's director of media affairs.

But we digress...

Williams continues, "The Republican front-runner in the California governor's race sought to defuse criticism about her connections to the firm, which have put her on the defensive in the GOP primary.

"The lesson learned about it is you have to be extra vigilant about seeing any actual or perceived conflict of interest," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I missed the signposts here."

Dan Walters reports on a rumor that has been swirling around the Capitol for weeks.

"So how does an unpopular Schwarzenegger retain any authority in a Capitol filled with conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats who equally disdain his centrist politics?

The one-time action movie star may have to resort to old-fashioned brute force – and holding a salary cut over the heads of legislators may be one weapon."

Darrell Steinberg asked Gov. Schwarzenegger to consider a boycott of Arizona in response to that state's new immigration policy. Patrick McGreevy reports,

"Steinberg (D-Sacramento) sent a letter to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asking for an inventory of Arizona businesses and government agencies with which California does business.

"The Arizona law is as unconscionable as it is unconstitutional, and the state of California should not be using taxpayer dollars to support such a policy," Steinberg wrote. At a news conference, Steinberg called the Arizona law "a disgrace."

California sends some of its prisoners to Arizona for incarceration under contract and also buys renewable energy from the neighboring state, but Steinberg said some ties may involve contracts that cannot be broken."

And finally, from our As You Were Files, "Police said a man entered the bedroom of a home while the residents were asleep, woke them up and showed them a handgun, then left without incident after saying he had the wrong house. Colorado Springs police were looking for the suspect following the reported 3 a.m. Friday home invasion.

But here's the kicker. "Police did not say whether the man apologized."