Proposition 8's opponents seem tobe quite intent on riding the Alienation Express all the way into the last stopon the railroad of irrelevance. However, having already commented on their disgraceful behavior, it seems redundant to condemn their most recent antics without some level of reflectionas to the reasons for their behavior.

I remember when I was a kid, my mother got me a checkbook and a home "savings account" and told me that I had to learn to manage my money. I earned a large sum of $20 per week for doing dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning my room, mowing the lawn, etc. Every week, I would jot down another $20 that my bank (mom and dad) owed me. When I wanted a new video game or a movie, I would deduct the cost from my total. I was proud to see my savings grow and actually enjoyed the big boy responsibilities (and relative financial independence) my parents gave at such a young age.

In a great display of bipartisanship, California's 4th congressional district has sent Democrat Charlie Brown, and Republican Tom McClintock to Washington D.C. for Freshman orientation.

All joking aside, both candidates have been invited to orientation while the district recounts the votes in a race that was too close to call. The Sacremento Bee reports:

WASHINGTON – Neither candidate has been declared a winner, but both Charlie Brown and Tom McClintock will be in Washington this week to attend freshman orientation for newly elected members of Congress.

With elections over for more than a week now, you better get ready for the never ending campaign season to pick right back up.

With Arnold on his way out, a Republican party unable to define itself, and the 2008 elections dominated by Democrats (and Obama's near 2/3 majority in California for the Presidential election), the San Francisco Chronicle reports that a lot of political heavyweights are waiting to hear an official decision from Dianne Feinstein on whether she will seek the highest office in the state.

From the Chronicle:

WASHINGTON – Calling for a new course for the GOP, Rep. Dan Lungren said Friday that he is running to become the House minority leader in the new Congress.

Lungren, 62, of Gold River said he will challenge the current leader, Republican Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. Boehner has come under fire after the House GOP suffered big losses in the 2006 and 2008 elections.

There are many economists,politicians, and journalists that think they have a miraculous way to makebailouts work. Thus far, our government and Federal Reserve Bank have limitedthe bailout debate to who should get what money and how much. Yet,all this argument over how to best manipulate our economy is totally irrelevantif we don't recognize the fundamental problems our monetary policy creates inthe first place. You can have a house made of gold, but it will surelysink if your foundation rests on quicksand.

The La Times is reporting that Proposition 8 opponents are taking it to the wallets of its supporters.

More than a week after the passage of Proposition 8, activists opposed to the ban on gay marriage have shifted their protests to new arenas -- using boycotts to target businesses and individuals who contributed to the winning side.

The Contra Costa Times reports that the Governor supports open primaries as a way to force the two parties to work together better:

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger likely will go to the end of his days in the Capitol frustrated by the unwillingness of the two major parties to work together, especially in times of crisis.

But he apparently is trying to plant the seeds of compromise for future governors, having led the successful redistricting ballot initiative, which he contends will make lawmakers more responsive to the needs of constituents.

From the Sacremento Bee:

One of the ironies of Arnold Schwarzenegger's time as governor of California is how he has failed to do some seemingly simple things – like balance the state budget – while at the same time tackling some of the most complex and arcane issues in government.

California's budget deficit could reach nearly $28 billion over the next two years unless drastic steps - including raising new taxes - are taken to stem the fiscal bleeding, the nonpartisan legislative analyst's office said Tuesday.

Calling it a "monumental problem," Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor said the state faces several challenges coming off a difficult budget year, with revenue continuing to falter this year and an economic recovery unlikely in the near future.