I don't know what Dan Walters' political affiliation is, but he has excellent sources of information and he writes very objective and fair and incisive columns. Among other things that means that he has been mercilously pummeling Gray Davis for as long as I can remember, ripping Davis over all of his idiotic policy decisions as well as Davis' do-whatever-it-takes focus on getting elected (and extorting vast sums of money to that end).