FOR THE FIRST TIME in a long time, California isn’t the crazy aunt of the western states: not as dysfunctional as last night’s presidential debate in Arizona; nor as anxiety-ridden as those Oregon Democrats huddling this weekend to figure how to keep the state from acting Bush league in 2004. As for Nevada, all that’s happening there is a recall against the governor. Conservatives have until the end of November to collect 128,109 signatures and trigger a referendum on Republican governor Kenny Guinn. (Guinn proposed a bigger tax increase than the $836 million version passed by the state legislature; anti-taxers want him gone.) It’s worth noting, by the way, that replacement candidates likewise need 128,000-plus signatures to qualify for the recall ballot. Not that it should deter Arianna Huffington, the perfect replacement candidate for . . . Siegfried & Roy.

Back in California, Thursday’s big recall news was Arnold Schwarzenegger rolling out his transition team, which has been tasked with figuring out the scope of the state’s budget mess. “One of the first things we have to do is audit. Open up the books and let the people look inside. Let the sun shine in,” Arnold explained at a news conference in Santa Monica.