Say yes to Maldonado

Democratic legislators in Sacramento are threatening to scuttle Gov. Schwarzenegger’s nomination of state Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) to replace Democrat John Garamendi, recently elected to Congress, as lieutenant governor. That would be a mistake, for several reasons.

One is that Maldonado is a Latino success story; nixing him would upset Latino voters. Another is that he’s a pragmatic centrist who, rare among Republicans, has been willing to cross party lines, especially on budget issues. Rejecting him would be a blow to the bipartisan cooperation Democrats say they seek.

Most important, though, his appointment would open up his District 15 for a special election, and Democrats—who have a registration edge there—would stand a good chance of picking up a seat. That would make them only one seat short of having a two-thirds majority in the Senate—almost enough to pass a budget without Republican resistance.

The two-thirds rule has crippled California. Democrats should do whatever it takes to overcome it, including confirming Maldonado’s appointment as lieutenant governor.