California Insider

The governor took a trip to the hospital last night. Here's the explanation from his press secretary:

"The Governor had the stomach flu yesterday. Consequently he experienced a rapid heartbeat. His personal doctor recommended he have it checked. He went to UC Davis Medical Center at approximately midnight. Upon arrival at the Med Center the doctors determined his heart rate was normal. He was observed for a few hours and released. He's feeling fine this morning and is in the office working.

"In 1997, Governor Schwarzenegger underwent surgery to repair a hereditary valve dysfunction. Occasional rapid heartbeat is common following this type of surgery."

Republican Party leaders in California are constantly trying to persuade Democrats to join their cause, often with little success. But now that Gov. Schwarzenegger has convinced one of the state's most prominent Democrats to join not only his cause but his staff, party leaders are apoplectic. Their latest move is to demand a meeting at which they expect the governor to expain himself. These people need to learn when to declare victory.

Who knew that somebody was building cars at a factory in Orange County? Here I am standing in front of the Saleen S7, which its designer says is the fastest (and most expensive) production car built in America. Saleen Inc. also modifies thousands of Ford Mustangs a year to make them into racier versions of their former selves.

State Sen. John Campbell, a former car dealer elected to Congress Tuesday to succeed Chris Cox, held his victory party at the Saleen factory in Irvine.

Campbell won easily but was kept from gaining a majority by a strong third-party challenge from anti-immigration activist Jim Gilchrist.