Here's what "progressive" Democrat CA Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg says about the residents of California when she thinks no one is listening:

"Some of us are thinking that maybe people should see the pain up close and personal, right now."

That's from the SacBee story "Lawmakers' hush-hush talk broadcast live":

Unbeknown to them, a group of Assembly Democrats' private gab session about the state budget impasse -- including the political implications of accepting a Republican-driven spending plan without tax hikes -- was broadcast across the Capitol on Monday...

The lawmakers also discussed how the budget impasse would affect a planned ballot initiative that some Democrats are pressing. The initiative would ask voters to reduce the required threshold to approve a budget to 55 percent of the Legislature instead of the current two-thirds requirement. At least one legislator said that a longer delay would help the case for lowering the threshold.

"Since this is going to be a crisis, the crisis could be this year. No one's running, and maybe you end up better off than you would have, and maybe you don't. But what you do is you show people that you can't get to this without a 55 percent vote," said Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles...

"If the Republicans are gleeful that they caught us on tape, the discussion was open and frank, and frankly one that we need to have," [Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara] said. "It was really just sort of a brainstorming discussion."

Still, when someone finally informed the group that the conversation was being broadcast, Goldberg uttered a profanity and declared, "How could that happen?"

In contrast, the L.A. Daily News' report ("Republicans able to listen in on Democrat meeting") is not as damaging, but it includes this:

The impasse over the budget could also result in the public blaming Republicans for the state's fiscal crisis and ultimately could help Davis beat back the recall.

"All the polls suggest that if you don't have a budget, it lends itself to help support the effort for the 55 percent," one assemblyman said at the meeting. "Folks heading up the anti-recall effort say if they don't have a budget, it helps Democrats in the recall."

The San Jose Mercury News' report ("Overheard session causes squabble") is even wimpier, at just six paragraphs. However, it includes this laughable statement:

Goldberg criticized Republicans for recording the session and alerting reporters. ``That's the kind of stuff that makes you think there are no ethics in this place,'' she said.

However, in the Strangely Enough category, both the L.A. Times' report ("Democrats Discussed Extending Budget Crisis") and that from the S.F. Chronical ("Demos caught in budget gaffe
Open mike picks up faction's talk of profiting from a crisis") are lengthy and damaging to the "progressives."

The LAT even names those in attendance:

Jackie
Fabian Nunez, Los Angeles ("We don't have economic power because we don't own the means of production")
Patti Berg, Eureka
Judy Chu, Monterey Park
Mervyn Dymally, Compton
Loni Hancock, Berkeley
Hannah-Beth Jackson, Santa Barbara
John Laird, Santa Cruz
John Longville, Rialto
Alan Lowenthal, Long Beach
Patricia Wiggins, Santa Rosa