California's Past and Present Meet

I didn't think it was possible, but I felt kinda sorry for Gray Davis (search) today.

It was time for him to host Arnold Schwarzennegger (search) as the governor-elect visited Sacramento.

You'll remember that the recent recall election produced the usual quotable bites from both Davis and Schwarzenegger... "It's time to terminate Gray Davis" and "You can't be governor unless you can pronounce the name of the state."

That's the kind of stuff that makes you wince when you see the two combatants actually sit together in front of the cameras and make nice, as the continuity of government in this country requires them to do.

Davis is being very gracious publicly, and I would just urge him to continue being so, and to encourage the Democrats he leaves behind — the ones who still have legislative jobs — to continue being gracious as well.

The national spotlight is off Schwarzenegger. We had our fun watching California's torment. Now they face the hard work of straightening out the state without the rest of us looking over their shoulders. We've lost interest. We don't much care.

But it's a big state, and it's hugely important to the country, and its problems are — of course — ugely important to California.

So since Schwarzenegger can't run for president, since fixing California's problems is an ambition that simply has its own reward and nothing further...

I hope all those other ambitious politicians will help him out and go along with the gag. Yes, the Terminator is the governor... and maybe he can terminate the trouble.

That's My Word.

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