Free Republic

SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento insiders can't believe what they're seeing -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger bounding to the Capitol patio with lawmakers to smoke cigars. Forget the in-house, working lunches of previous administrations: This governor dines in restaurants most weekdays. Schwarzenegger is the rare Republican governor who courts Democrats. He even sent a birthday present to Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Johnny Burton. This is not politics as usual. Typically, when a governor is about to address the Legislature and present a budget, his overworked staffers look awful. Their skin is pasty or splotchy. They're tired and bigger than they were on...