Abel Maldonado to replace Garamendi as California lieutenant governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his new lieutenant governor last night to the same person he told he was running for governor: NBC host Jay Leno.

State Senator Abel Maldonado will replace John Garamendi, who resigned as lieutenant governor after his election to Congress.

Congressman John Garamendi recalls two drawbacks to the Lt. Governor’s job: he had no vote. And it’s a place where you can do things with persuasion and persuasion and persuasion.

But only up to a point, because Garamendi’s a Democrat.

"I had to work with a Republican governor," he says.

Garamendi says that at the outset, he and Governor Schwarzenegger agreed they’d work together.

"It turns out that he wasn’t interested in working with me and his policies were policies that I found very troublesome for the state of California," Garamendi says. "And it’s proved that way."

Garamendi maintains that the governor failed to lead on issues ranging from the budget crisis to education to health care.

Garamendi’s replacement is a moderate Republican with a reputation for working across party lines.