Today was the day Barack Obama was officially elected President of the United States by the only people who really count -- the electors of the Electoral College. In state capitals across the country today, these electors affirmed the decisions of voters on Nov. 4.

In Sacramento, 55 Democrats handpicked by Democratic members of Congress and, in districts represented by a Republican, the 2008 Democratic Party nominee, cast their votes for Obama.

The honorary positions are typically given to party loyalists, family members or personal friends of members of Congress. For instance, Congressmen Joe Baca and Jerry McNerney selected their sons as electors. Sen. Barbara Boxer picked Lou Paulson, head of the California Professional Firefighters union. And so on.

And what about the 23rd and 24th Districts, the two that include portions of Ventura County?

In the 24th, Democratic nominee Marta Jorgensen picked longtime Central Coast party official Bob Handy of Santa Barbara. And in the 23rd, Rep. Lois Capps selected her son-in-law Nathan Brostrom of Berkeley, whose wife, Lisa Capps, died tragically from cancer at age 35 nearly nine years ago. Lisa Capps had been a psychology professor at UC Berkeley.

If the was the fifth consective election in which California electors cast their votes for the Democratic candidate.

One of the rarest events in politics took place this morning as the California Air Resources Board was considering its adoption of a detailed framework to implement the state's landmark global warming law: An elected official turned down an offer to speak into a microphone in a room packed with people.

That official was new Ventura County Sen. Fran Pavley, who was a co-author of the landmark law as a member of the Assembly in 2006.

Pavley's presence in the auditorium was noted by board Chairwoman Mary Nichols. "It's always good to have the author of the bill you're implementing in the room," she said. "If we don't do it right, I'm sure we'll be hearing about it."

Nichols then asked Pavley if she'd like to make a public comment, but -- remarkably -- the senator demured. "I don't want to take up your time," she said from her seat near the back of the auditorium.

Before the implementation process is over, rest assured, Pavley intends to have plenty to say. The first bill she introduced in the Senate is a measure that will become the vehicle to implement whatever fees are ultimately included in the Air Board's plan.

We've seen this week in the transcripts of tape-recorded conversations of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich the crude abuses that can result from the exercise of gubernatorial power. His brazen efforts to leverage his power to line his pockets is disgusting, embarrassing and likely felonious.

In California's Capitol, thank goodness, guvernatorial corruption is not an issue.

Still, it sometimes seems the state is paralyzed in part because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has embraced the opposite extreme -- a reluctance to exert his power and influence, not for private gain, but for public good.

If Schwarzenegger could line up just six fellow Republican legislators to support him on budget proposals, he could leverage that to gain extraordinary concessions from Democratic leaders and prevent the state's imminent fiscal catastrophe. But he has not shown any outward signs that he's making much effort to cajole, entice, threaten or otherwise persuade individual lawmakers to join with him.

The sticking point, of course, is new revenues. With the state's current year budget shortfall now pegged at nearly $15 billion, Schwarzenegger has concluded that the hole cannot be filled through spending cuts alone and that the solution must also include some tax increases. To that, all GOP lawmakers have thus far said nyet.

One would think he might host a few holiday parties, perhaps provide an opportunity for some targeted lawmakers to mingle with some of his Hollywood friends. Or perhaps he might call some Republican campaign contributors and ask them to suggest to certain GOP lawmakers that the governor could use a little cooperation. Or maybe he could go into some of their districts and host public events to call attention to the deep and unpopular cuts that would be necessary if there are no new revenues to help balance the budget.

But Schwarzenegger seems uninterested in this part of the job -- the ordinary, nitty-gritty excercise of gubernatorial influence and power.

His reluctance to do those things has clearly frustrated Democratic leaders of the Legislature. Assembly Speaker Karen Bass put it bluntly this afternoon: "It is past time for Gov. Schwarzenegger to break the logjam created by his own party and produce Republican votes for a package of cuts and revenues. The 2/3 vote requirement means Democrats can't do it alone. With 51 Democrats we only need three Republican votes in the Assembly. But we need real leadership from Gov. Schwarzenegger to convince even a few of his Republican colleagues to compromise."

Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines of Fresno has tabbed Cameron Smyth as chair of the Assembly's GOP Caucus -- the No. 2 Republican job in the Assembly.

At 37, Smyth, whose district includes about half of Simi Valley, is one of the Legislature's rising young Republican stars. The promotion could be a stepping stone for Smyth to advance to the top post, as Villines will be termed out in 2010 and Smyth is eligible to serve through 2012.

Smyth becomes the second Ventura County lawmaker in recent years to hold the post. Sen. Tony Strickland held the same position when he served in the Assembly.