That’s how Phil Angelides says most delegates to the California Democratic Party convention see him, after his resounding win of the party’s gubernatorial endorsement over Steve Westly.

The fact that Angelides would win over most of the 1,923 delegates in attendance in Sacramento for the weekend festivities was never in doubt. Instead the real battle, waged in speeches and in old-fashioned retail politics on the convention floor, was whether Angelides would get cross the 60% threshold of delegate votes needed to secure the actual endorsement.

On Saturday night, it was announced he had done even better, winning 1,195 votes– or about 67%– compared to 500 delegate votes for Westly, and 83 voting for no formal endorsement.

And that headline is what the Angelides camp wanted, especially in the face of a new Los Angeles Times poll that puts Westly’s lead among Democrats at 13 points. In a Sunday morning conference call with reporters, the candidate argued the endorsement will send a message.

“What wins elections are candidates with causes and beliefs,” Angelides said, oddly even comparing himself to Ronald Reagan in 1980 when many thought the GOP presidential nomination would be won by the more mainstream George H.W. Bush.

Angelides said that Democratic Party chairman Art Torres told him the party would now do “everything it can” to help him win on June 6.

But even some delegates who supported Angelides mused in conversations throughout the weekend that the polls may be right. And that’s the story line that the Westly camp will continue to push in the days to come.

“For the massive electorate, you have to appeal not only to the hardcore voters of your party, but to a broader spectrum,” said Penny Strowger, a delegate from Thousand Oaks who said she was voting for Angelides. “And I wonder,” she said, “if Westly might not be better at doing that.”

That’s the message to the state’s Democrats from one of their rising stars, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who says he has not endorsed either of the two gubernatorial candidates, but who also says Democats need leaders in whom the voters can believe.

Newsom delivers the dinner speech to convention delegates tonight, but sat down for almost an hour this afternoon with Capitol reporters to talk about everything from Governor Schwarzenegger to current issues and his own future prospects. Some of the highlights…

* Newsom said his fellow Democrats need to get real, both here and nationwide. “We need to say what we say in private publicly, without consideration of consequence,” he said. “We need to redevelop, or rediscover, our spine.”

* The mayor signaled that it would be a mistake for either Phil Angelides or Steve Westly to take the low road this weekend. “I imagine there’s nothing [Schwarzenegger’s team] hopes more than that,” said Newsom, “that this is a contentious weekend, a divisive one, where there’s not just attacks on issues, but personal attacks.”

* And speaking of Schwarzenegger, Mayor Newsom complimented the governor on a personal level– saying he has a “vibrant character”– but pulled no punches when it came to the governor’s record. “He actually got in [office] with a lot of support from Democrats,” he said. “And people actually started to believe, for a while. And he squandered it.”

* Newsom suggested parallels between the current brewing debate over illegal immigration, and the one that thrust him into the spotlight in 2004. “This is our year’s gay marriage, I guess,” he said. The mayor said while he thinks many people support some kind of reforms on illegal immigration policy, he says the debate is much more global than just legal status– and more damaging. “The rhetoric is so much broader than that,” he said, “and the impact of the debate goes deeper.”

* And on the gay marriage issue, San Francisco’s mayor said those who now hope to roll back other programs, like domestic partner rights, will attempt to do so “to their own peril.” “Then it’s no longer about the sanctity of marriage,” he said. “Then it’s about discrimination, of being anti gay and lesbian. Then, finally, their truest colors come to the fore.”

* And finally, Newsom couldn’t escape the big question for Capitol reporters: does he harbor an interest for a governor’s race in four years, or later? The affable mayor says he hasn’t even thought of it.

Fair enough. But when asked can whether what works in San Francisco can work statewide, he eagerly said it can, and began to rattle off a number of things that make California great. He ended that thought by quoting the ancient Greek leader Pericles. “He said, ‘We do not imitate, for we are a model to others’,” said Newsom.

The mayor then sat back in his chair, his eyes wide, and smiled. “I mean, that’s what governors should be saying.”

In the latest installment of the high gas prices saga, Attorney General Bill Lockyer has decided to subpoena oil company documents, in an attempt to determine whether the companies are profiteering and price gouging.

[Oil company executives] never provide the numbers, so we can see exactly how much of their skyrocketing margins are costs and how much are profits,” said Lockyer in a prepared statement. “Long suffering California drivers deserve to know that information. I intend to get it.”

The subpoenas will be served on all 21 California refineries, including the operations of ExxonMobil, Chevron-Texaco, Shell, BP, Valero, and ConocoPhillips.

The author of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s preferred method for raising California’s minimum wage today suggested the governor could pretty much get what he wanted without the Legislature, using a dormant– but not dismantled– state commission.

Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) today called on the state’s Industrial Welfare Commission to raise the minimum wage by $1 over the next 18 months, from the current $6.75 to $7.75. That’s the same proposal Maldonado has carried in the Legislature with SB 1167, a proposal endorsed by the governor earlier this year.

SB 1167 is technically still pending in the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. But today is the final day that the proposal can be considered before this week’s policy bill deadline, and majority Democrats are firmly opposed to any minimum wage hike that doesn’t also provide a formula for future increases based on inflation.

Here’s where things get interesting. The IWC was stripped of its funding by the Legislature in 2004, and the terms of its commissioners– appointed by the governor– appear to have expired. But technically, it still exists on the books. And Maldonado, in a letter to Schwarzenegger, suggests he “reconstitute” the IWC and hike the minimum wage on his own.

Furthermore, the suggestion appears to have precedent. Research provided by GOP legislative staffers shows that the minimum wage has been raised 16 times in California since 1963. And while some of those hikes were authorized by the IWC, none were instigated by the Legislature.

If Schwarzenegger were so inclined, it would seem the action could also have a major political upside: more money in the pockets of the working poor, no automatic increases as opposed by the business community, and “action, action, action” instead of a protracted debate with the Democratically controlled Legislature.

So what’s the governor’s reaction? His press secretary, Margita Thompson, released a statement this afternoon that only says Schwarzenegger will “continue working” on the issue.

Don’t be surprised to see Governor Schwarzenegger or his allies declare victory in the effort to get levee help from President George W. Bush. At the same time, the governor’s critics will likely say he failed. And who knows, based on this morning’s developments, they may both be right.

First, the recap: the governor has been saying for a few days that he will give the President a good talking-to, asking for help to fix California’s endangered levees. In addition, both Schwarzenegger and Democrats have been highly critical of a recent decision by a top federal official to reject a request for a federal disaster declaration– and federal dollars– to make levee repairs.

But while many media reports have assumed the governor would ask Bush for money during today’s tete-a-tete, it now appears that was never the case. Early this morning, the Schwarzenegger administration– by way of a “background only” note to reporters– hinted that the governor’s main goal is to get “regulatory relief” from the feds, to speed up the process of levee repairs. And looking back on the governor’s public comments this week, he actually never mentioned immediate financial assistance from Washington.

So when the Associated Press reported this morning that Bush would offer ways to speed up the involvement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in levee fixes… but no actual money… well, it all seemed perfect for a “Arnold Gets Help” headline.

Democrats, however, already appear to have declared defeat for the governor’s efforts. Here’s the statement released by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-LA):

“The headline on the story should be: ‘Bush to California: Drop Dead.’ California needs federal money to prevent a Katrina-like emergency, and we need it now.”

So depending on your political preference, either story could be considered accurate. Now the question is: which story will stick?

The quick news of Jeanne Woodford’s resignation as acting secretary of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has led to another quick announcement, with Governor Schwarzenegger appointing a new acting chief– the second in as many months.

Woodford’s decision to step down was reported this morning in the papers. This afternoon, Schwarzenegger tapped James Tilton to replace her. Tilton, 57, was previously in charge of budget issues related to the state’s prisons system, but was a deputy director in the department for 13 years before that.

All of this follows the February resignation of Secretary Rod Hickman, and only adds to the chatter about what’s next for the state’s beleaguered prisons system.

In a Q&A this morning, the governor commented on the changes and the challenges that lie ahead.

“It is a slow process,” said Schwarzenegger. “It’s something that for the last 10 or 15 years has been going on. And so now to undo that is a big challenge. But we’re doing it.”

If California elected officials had their way, President George W. Bush would step off Air Force One tomorrow in San Jose and be frisked for his checkbook.

Day two of the “show me the money” campaign included both a reiteration from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that he intends to push for levee repair cash, as well as new demands– and criticism– from Democrats of both Bush and Schwarzenegger.

First, the governor… whose photo op this morning at the state’s Office of Emergency Services included a new round of pointed comments about the Bush Administration’s lack of action on California’s levee problems.

“It’s amazing to me that the federal officials who did such a terrible job with [Hurricane] Katrina,” said Schwarzenegger, “haven’t learned a few lessons yet.”

But Democrats seized on the opportunity to knock two Republicans with one stone, criticizing Schwarzenegger in a conference call for everything from a lack of pull with the President, to the ineffectiveness of his formal requests for federal help.

“So far,” said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-LA), “the diplomatic route that the governor has taken has absolutely not worked.”

Nunez and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) sent a letter to both the President and Governor Schwarzenegger today asking for “real action.”

And in the conference call with reporters, the best line may have come from Congresswoman Lofgren, who said that Bush may not even be President were it not for Schwarzenegger.

“We’re all aware of the efforts that Governor Schwarzenegger put forth in that crucial state of Ohio that got President Bush elected,” she said. “And I think it’s time for him to collect some chits, not for himself, but for the people of the state of California.”

Some tough talk today from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger about the response so far from the federal government and President George W. Bush over help from back east for the state’s levees.

At an afternoon news conference to mark the two year anniversary of a Capitol deal modifying the workers comp system, Schwarzenegger was asked about Bush’s trip to California this weekend, and the status of their relationship these days.

The governor seemed as though he had been prepped for questions about Bush, whose visit presents a bit of a political tightrope walk for the GOP governor of a blue state with a low opinion of the GOP president.

It would be interesting to know whether the answer– directed toward a recent rejection of a request for emergency levee repair money– was designed to help walk that fine line.

“Our levees are very vulnerable,” said Schwarzenegger. “And I think it’s irresponsible of the federal government, and I think that it is dangerously misformed [sic] , the federal government, when they come out here and say we don’t need federal help. It’s inexcusable.”

The governor said that’s the message he wants to get to Bush during their scheduled time together in San Jose on Friday. And Schwarzenegger rejected notions that he should think about politics when deciding to see, or not see, Bush on any given trip to California… saying it’s part of his job as governor.

For a full audio clip of the Bush question, click here and then click on the audio file marked “Arnold on Bush.” [Note: You will need an audio player installed, such as Quicktime]

Some quick mentions of goings-on for this first full day of sun in Sacramento in years… okay, maybe it just feels that way.

* On The Ballot: A crime and punishment showdown is now set for November, as the initiative designed to crackdown on sexual predators– known as Jessica’s Law– has qualified for the ballot. Supporters say they collected more than 700,000 voter signatures, more than needed to qualify for the November 7 ballot. The initiative would increase the penalties for possession of child pornography, make more sex crimes eligible for a life term in prison, and would require paroled sex offenders to be monitored with a GPS device for life. The initiative’s namesake was 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl abducted and killed last year. The initiative’s placement on the ballot marks the official end of a debate over a legislative compromise at the Capitol which stalled out weeks ago. Democrats balked at some of the provisions over things like the cost of GPS monitoring, while Republicans balked at attempts to lessen the penalty for those caught with small amounts of explicit child pornography. Governor Schwarzenegger joined backers in kicking off their campaign last fall; expect this to be one of those “tough vs. soft on crime” campaigns come this fall.

* Westly Jabs: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly arrived for his speech today to the Sacramento Press Club with some attacks on his Democratic challenger, the incumbent governor, and critics who have panned his proposals for balancing the budget without taxes or big spending cuts. On that last issue– the budget– Westly arrived with a PowerPoint presentation ready to go, offering a lot of facts and figures in defense of his plans for going after tax cheats and shifting more lottery proceeds to education. “It’s high time we have a governor versed in the numbers,” he said. However, Westly defended his support for one particular tax increase, Proposition 82, going so far as to say that universal preschool is a higher funding priority than even K-12 education. And as for those jabs at his opponents… on Phil Angelides’ call for tax increases to help balance the budget, Westly said there’s no way to get the necessary GOP votes on that proposal in the Legislature. “Even if you think that’s good policy,” he said, “who’s going to vote for that?” And turning to Schwarzenegger, Westly shrugged off the governor’s right to claim credit for the state’s improving economy. “Frankly,” he said, “the governor’s had very little bearing on that.”

* More Medicare Bailout: Governor Schwarzenegger today extended the state’s emergency program to ensure seniors and the disabled get their prescription drugs during the federal Medicare transition. That transition left many recipients in the lurch, and state officials agreed in January to temporarily cover the costs. Today’s extension means the state will keep picking up the tab through May 15. Total cost to California taxpayers so far, according to Schwarzenegger’s office: more than $54.3 million.