Whether it’s due to the new glamour brought to town by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the continuing demands of the 24-hour news cycle… or both… the State of the State speech is now much more than an exercise in political oratory.

So as work crews erect a large white tent on the north side of the state Capitol to accommodate the overflow of news media, it seems appropriate to offer a glimpse at what seems like the pregame show of the Super Bowl:

* Democrats appear anxious to level the playing field, working hard even before the speech to spin the focus back towards issues they think lean their way. At a news conference this morning, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata was asked what reaction he’d have if the governor calls a special session to deal with legislative redistricting. “Let’s have a special session on education”, countered Perata. “If we’re going to have special sessions, let’s do them on the issues of priority.” Perata outlined other issues that Democrats see as part of that priority– including health care, transportation and housing, government reform, the environment, and getting more money from the federal government.

* There was also the slight hint of the campaign-to-come as Treasurer Phil Angelides held a Wednesday morning event calling on Schwarzenegger to end what he calls the “budget deception” of last year. And that, by the way, was what Angelides said at his “official” (non-campaign) event. 20 minutes later, Angelides put on his “campaign” hat, next door at the same Sacramento location, to unveil a TV spot being paid for by his political “issues” committee… a likely precursor to an Angelides campaign for governor in 2006.

* As for the frenzy behind the scenes: about 200 credentialed media will be in attendance, down slightly from last year. Included in that group are international media members, including a radio reporter from Austria who traveled with Schwarzenegger extensively during the 2003 recall.

* And back to that large tent just outside the Capitol: it’s again being sponsored by the California Broadcasters Association, which estimates their total cost for the tent and satellite coverage of the speech to be just under $10,000. One aide to the governor dubbed it the “spin tent”, where politicians and interest groups can give a quick reaction tomorrow night. One TV videographer asked staffers, “will the tent have catering?” The answer, sadly, was no.

* Our special hour-long edition of The California Report begins at 5:00pm Wednesday, hosted by Scott Shafer. As always, we hope you’ll join us.