"So close, yet so far"

That is how Democratic Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez described the efforts to negotiate a legislative compromise for the fall special election. But, as the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades. In his Tuesday press avail, Nunez said that the biggest stumbling block was "figuring a way to have a midyear budget hammer" that didn't adversely impact education. Translation: he wouldn't give the Governor the ability to cut Prop 98 spending midyear without the guarantee of having the money paid back "like a promissory note" over time. "The clock ran out on us," the Speaker lamented, before moving on to discuss the business before the legislature and his upcoming trip to Mexico. One juicy tidbit: Nunez not-so-subtly railed against the involvement of a former Governor--presumably Pete Wilson--in the negotiations, saying something to the effect of "I didn't realize former Governors played a role in Sacramento."