Budget Vote Next Week

No, there is no deal to pass the budget, but the Democrats are scheduling a vote anyways. It will put the Republicans on record opposing and put some more public pressure on them to play ball in the negotiations. SacBee:

"Hopefully, the Republicans will have enough sense to vote for it because it's going to be a very strong budget," Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, said after participating in budget talks on Thursday. "They're going to have to defend their opposition if they decide not to vote for it."

With a monthlong legislative recess scheduled to begin July 20, Núñez said he canceled his vacation plans and warned lawmakers to brace for a long summer that will require them to stay within two hours of the Capitol.

The Democratic leadership continues to find multiple pressure points on the Republicans.

Democrats, who refuse to cut social welfare programs, say the GOP governor should resolve problems with the Republican lawmakers.

"This is a fight between Republicans and Republicans," said Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland.

Arnold's response was to fire right back and blame the legislators.

But Schwarzenegger's communications director, Adam Mendelsohn, said the legislative leaders need to resolve this on their own. In May, the governor submitted a $103.8 billion plan that proposed, in part, cutting social services to help narrow the state's operational deficit.

The public finger pointing goes round and round while negotiations take place in secret. Just like those mysterious Republican program cuts.