While his Senate Republican colleagues have cowered under the shadow of right-wing ideology, he has had the courage to move forward on a centrist course of compromise. Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), 39, is the kind of lawmaker ordinary people say they want representing them: Not too politically partisan. Not afraid to exercise independence. More loyal to his constituents than his party caucus. Senate Republicans either don't know when to declare victory because they're so used to losing. Or they're just hankering to fight -- to prove their relevance and take a shot at the governor who last year virtually...