I think we may be a little premature in calling this budget a done deal.  Dave Cogdill says it’s the best the GOP could get, but won’t even commit to voting for it HIMSELF:

“My deal, one more time, has always been that I would try my best to get it to a position where I felt it was as good as I could get and I was willing to release my members,” Cogdill said in a brief interview in the hallway outside his office. “That’s where I am. So I’m not guaranteeing any votes; it’s up to them (his members) to make that decision.”

“But I’ve negotiated it to the point where I think it doesn’t get any better,” Cogdill said.

Asked if he specifically would support the package, Cogdill hedged, “We’re waiting to see all the language and all of that so I’m not ready to commit who the votes will be at this point.”

Not a guarantee at all.  This still could be torpedoed when the votes come in.  In fact, Abel Maldonado, thought to be the most likely Yacht Party member to vote yes, had this to say:

“All I can say is that there’s still another $1 million for John Chiang for furniture in this budget so it’s an easy vote ‘no’ for Maldonado,” the Santa Maria Republican said.

That’s a reference to the recent spat between Maldonado and state Controller John Chiang over furniture purchases.

Doesn’t seem like a deal to me.  And Maldonado is an idiot, because the Controller budget was appropriated before Chiang showed up and was probably agreed to by him at the time.  But this isn’t about intellectual consistency.  It’s about looking for any excuse for the Yacht Party to hide from their responsibilities.

…oh, and the whole thing could be sunk by Lou Correa.  Awesome.

Update by Robert: Someone needs to ask Abel Maldonado why he thinks chairs come before children.