EDITORIAL POLITICS AS UNUSUAL ARNOLD'S BOLD MOVES SHAKE UP SACRAMENTO POLITICS.

GOV. Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigned for office promising to put an end to ``politics as usual,'' and, without a doubt, he's delivering.

What California has now can best be called politics as unusual, for better or worse.

Before Arnold, it all used to be so simple: Democrats bashed Republicans and Republicans bashed Democrats. Neither side ever had an unkind word to say about its own members. And much nothing ever got done.

Not anymore.

Now we have Democrats bashing Democrats, Democrats praising Republicans and Republicans making nice with everyone, and a few members on both sides with their heads in the sand squawking about everything going on.

First, there's Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, who has turned his infamously sharp tongue on fellow Democrat Los Angles Mayor James Hahn. Burton denounced Hahn last week for having the temerity to demand the state fulfill its funding commitment to local government.

``We have heard their cries, like little babies they cry,'' Burton said of Hahn and Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. ``Yeah, they cry; who doesn't want money? How many of you have kids? It's like Santa Claus - give me something for Christmas.''

Meanwhile, Hahn has taken to singing the praises of Republican Schwarzenegger, who did what Burton and fellow legislators wouldn't - provide crucial funds for local government.

``We haven't seen this kind of bold leadership in Sacramento for a long, long time, and we are really grateful for it,'' Hahn gushed.

So what's going on?

Perhaps, at long last, some politicians are waking up from their deep sleep and remembering that what matters most is the difference between right and wrong, and not the divide between Republican and Democrat.

Ever since taking office, Schwarzenegger has tried valiantly to work with the Legislature's Democratic leadership, but to little avail. Rather than help him come up with a way to deliver on funding for local government, the Legislature has closed up shop for the holidays.

That forced Schwarzenegger to get creative and come up with the funds by making unilateral cuts to social-welfare spending - a decision that's enraged the Democratic Party ideologues in Sacramento, but has greatly pleased municipal Democratic leaders throughout the state.

The move was also applauded by Democratic State Controller Steve Westly, who has shown a willingness to work with Schwarzenegger in the best interests of California. In that regard, Westly couldn't stand in starker contrast to Burton and Treasurer Phil Angelides, who has an almost Pavlovian negative response to any idea that Schwarzenegger proposes.

In Sacramento, there are signs that it's no longer Democrats versus Republicans. It's becoming problem-solvers versus obstructionists. It's Schwarzenegger, Westly and moderates of both parties on one side versus partisans of both parties on the other.

Politics as usual is in decline. Long live politics as unusual!