The longer that Senate Pro Tem Don Perata hangs around the Capitol, the bigger the stench that comes from that glorious old building. Now we learn that Perata was just kidding about the recall of Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Atwater. One big joke. He was only showing his sense of humor when he paid signature gatherers to put the recall on the June 3 ballot. What about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Perata and his cronies have already spent on the phony recall?

Perata announced Wednesday that he was ending the recall because that will help "stop the long, slow slide into another long stalemate" on the budget. Gee, senator. Do you think you had anything to do with this mess? Don Perata is an embarrassment to the Legislature and he ought to be censured by the Assembly and Senate. Do our lawmakers have the guts to do the right thing?

Fortunately, Perata's termed out. But he should go now. I'm stunned that Democratic senators aren't shunning their outgoing leader. This is a legislator who has given all of them a bad name. In the Valley, Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, should be holding a news conference to ask for Perata's resignation. It's time for Florez to put some distance between him and Perata.

The recall was an abuse of the process, and never should have been launched in the first place. The abrupt ending of the recall campaign shows that Perata never intended to do the right thing. This was a bullying tactic by Perata that backfired.