California has no budget nearly four weeks into the fiscal year, and the Republican governor has failed to persuade two of his own minority party's state senators to vote for a spending plan he likes.

While Republicans say they are standing on principle, the situation shows how little Capitol influence Schwarzenegger has over his own party after moderating his views and cutting GOP leaders out of legislative deals last year on the environment and minimum wage.

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata on Thursday asked the governor to step in to resolve the latest flare-up between Democrats and Republicans. The Senate did not vote Thursday, sending the budget impasse into its 27th day.

The governor has tried to negotiate with some Republicans, but none has broken party ranks and provided the two GOP votes necessary in the Senate to pass the budget.

"This has not been a high point in relations between the governor and Republican legislators, and I think they've gotten his attention," said John J. Pitney Jr., a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.

Schwarzenegger on Thursday held his first budget news conference since releasing his revised proposal in May. He said "now is the time" for lawmakers to approve the budget because some state operations are at risk of losing funding. The governor met separately with Perata and Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman beforehand.

"I work with both of the parties together and try to let them know what is important here is not what is best for your party, but what is best for the people of California," Schwarzenegger said.

The governor added Thursday that he supports the Assembly version of the budget, which Senate Republicans refuse to approve.

Perata canceled a Thursday floor session to consider a GOP proposal to trim another $842 million from the $103 billion general fund budget for 2007-08 that the Assembly passed last week. Democrats oppose additional cuts to welfare and health assistance for poor families.

Perata said the dispute lies between the governor and Republican lawmakers. He urged Schwarzenegger to keep the situation from escalating into name calling, as it did Wednesday with Perata accusing Republicans of "fiscal terrorism" for demanding more cuts.

"It's really got to stop here," Perata said. "And it's really got to stop with the governor. I mean, the governor is the guy that I'm looking to now for the leadership to get everybody to calm down."

Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Temecula, said the governor's influence over GOP lawmakers has fluctuated with his views. When the governor entered office, for instance, GOP members worked with him to pass workers' compensation changes that reduced business costs.

"He had influence because his interests coincided with ours," Hollingsworth said. "I think in past budget years, our interests coincided when he was trying to fix the structural deficit and balance the budget."

Bill Whalen, a research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution who wrote speeches for former Gov. Pete Wilson, said Republicans may be sending a twofold message. They are showing Democrats how difficult it will be to pass new taxes in future years while also proving their relevancy to Schwarzenegger.

"Eleven months out of the year, the poor Republicans in the state Senate and Assembly toil in obscurity," Whalen said. "They don't matter when it comes to party-line votes. When it comes to (Schwarzenegger's) post-partisanship, they're the ones standing on the outside while the governor basks in the spotlight."

If the governor cannot sway Republicans through persuasive arguments, he could opt for the power of purse strings. Former Gov. Gray Davis obtained votes from reluctant Republicans by including money for projects in their home districts. In 2001, for instance, Davis offered $76 million to Republicans for agriculture, law enforcement and other items.

Schwarzenegger also could promise political help to members of his own party when they run for future office. But the governor has drawn skepticism about how much his promises to GOP members are worth.

By Kevin Yamamura, The Sacramento Bee
July 27, 2007