You've got to have a tough skin to be a politician. Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger whose popularity has dropped almost 20 points since December. The reason: money, or rather, the lack of money in California's treasury. The state is anticipating a $15 billion budget gap. The  governor's remedies involve borrowing, a tax increase, and cuts in health care, and are not sitting well with the public.

But today, the justices of the California Supreme Court may have unknowingly helped both the governor and the budget. They refused to stay their decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. This means that beginning June 17^th, counties must start issuing new gender-neutral marriage licenses. So the weddings will begin and probably continue until at least November 4^th. That's when California voters will weigh in on an initiative that would again outlaw same-sex marriage in the state. If the amendment passes, it is unclear whether those June-to-November marriages would be nullified, a question that might get kicked back to the Supreme Court.