Early on in today's marathon Senate Health Committee hearing on California's proposed comprehensive healthcare reform plan, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez told senators that the plan is very much "a strong Democratic bill." He said that he anticipates a Democratic governor will be in office after Arnold Schwarzenegger is termed out in 2010, and that the new Democratic governor would ensure that the program worked as planned.

"Not that this governor has been bad," Nuñez said. "In the last year or so, he's been pretty good. I mean, just ask my Republican colleagues."

The hearing, by the way, opened at 9 a.m. and has continued without a break until now -- nearly 6 p.m. To find out if it's still going on, check the webcast.

It may not be too late. At one point late in the afternoon, Chairwoman Sheila Kuehl referred to it as "a 25-hour hearing."