Oh what joyous news we have been greeted with this week! We’re $20.7 billion short again, says The Bee. And, alas, surprise surprise, the Barbarian says he won’t fix it with taxes, according to Reuters.

Allow me to write the next headline: DEMOCRATS CAVE ON BUDGET DEMANDS, AGREE TO ANOINT SEN. MALDANADO EMPEROR FOR LIFE.

It’s sad, isn’t it? We can already write the story. The Democrats will write a budget that goes against everything they’re supposed to stand for. Hell, there won’t even be DEATH PANELS, they’ll just be throwing the old people straight into the glue factory this time. Something insane like the privatization of the community college system (University of Phoenix for all!) will be thrown in there, but the whole thing will fail because there’s a 50 cent tax on yachts.

Update: Perhaps along the lines I suggested here the last time we had this dance.

The Republicans won’t have to do anything except say ‘no’ to everything, claim that the T-100 isn’t a real part of their party and this is the Democrats’ fault.

I tried to tell people I know in the party that they needed to have it out last time, that making a faustian bargain for one more year was never going to work and you were only going to set a precedent of weakness. I’m no one of consequence, not that they would have listened to me if I were.

When are the Dems in the Legislature going to realize that while they have a majority, they are not in control of the Legislature or the Government. The Republicans control the executive branch and control an overriding bloc of the Legislature for purposes of everything except banning text messaging while driving.

I know this is a metaphor that has been worn thin over the last 10 years, but enough with the Chamberlain negotiating tactics. Let them shut down the government to protect the rich and powerful on the backs of the poor. Ask Newt fucking Gingrich how that worked out! And then realize California is a more liberal state than the US as a whole.  

Update: Maybe along the lines I suggested the last time we did this dance. No real reform = no budget.