But in these difficult economic times, tiny fissures are showing up on what is normally a united front across state departments, unions and the rank-and-file. They appear as nameless phone messages, e-mails that start with, "Please don't use my name," and anonymous posts on the State Worker blog.

"They've put themselves in a box that leaves Bush-style borrowing as their only exit strategy," Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, said in a written statement.
"Effective governing requires compromise," added incoming Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. "In part because of the pledge, and what underlies it, they've limited their ability to be effective partners in government.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday denounced $577,000 in contributions that the state correctional officers union gave to a political committee controlled by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

Insiders say the stalemate is obviously bad this year because of the sheer size of the deficit, but that's not the only reason. There's a sense on the Capitol that this is the epic battle both parties have wanted for some time.

State health officials have asked a federal judge to suspend her order requiring them to restore 10 percent cuts in Medi-Cal payments to doctors, dentists and pharmacists, saying the ruling was unclear and legally flawed and would be prohibitively expensive for California taxpayers.