Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday spent 45 minutes pitching his compromise budget plan in a video conference with the Union-Tribune editorial board. His complex proposal includes a constitutional amendment that would limit and smooth out future spending growth by diverting revenue during boom times to a “rainy day” reserve fund that could be tapped only by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature during down years. That's the carrot to bring Republicans aboard.

It's common sense, which happens to be one of those things in short supply in the immigration debate: To fully understand the immigration issue, it helps to live in a part of the country heavily impacted by immigration.

Now that the flame has gone out on the Olympics in Beijing, it's worth taking a moment to applaud the U.S. Olympic team. Not only for dominating so many events and winning the most prizes overall – 110 medals, 36 gold – but also for winning the argument back home over the contributions of immigrants and their children.