Worst. Special Session. Ever.

George Skelton has the gory details of the legislative special session on health care and water. A lot of legislative games, two-thirds barriers, and obstrictionism. Welcome to ungovernable California. The back end is the key set of paragraphs.

Schwarzenegger is pushing for a compromise on the February ballot, but Republican lawmakers are ambivalent at best. "Too many legislators think they're getting jammed," Senate GOP leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine told me. "When we try to rush things, the legislation isn't well thought out. We've got plenty of time next year to make the November ballot."

But the governor believes a November ballot is risky because of a worsening budget deficit that might sour voters on more borrowing.

And Democrats are anxious to produce something -- anything -- that will impress the electorate before a February vote on making term limits more flexible.

None of this is about governance. Just power.