SENATE PRESIDENT Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg called Rep. George Miller and asked for the congressman's support sight unseen for the $11.1 billion water package a few days before it hit the floor of the Legislature.

Miller's blessing would have been powerful mojo in the Senate leader's battle with unhappy Delta lawmakers, who universally opposed the bills.

"Steinberg wanted me to endorse it," the Martinez congressman said during a wide-ranging discussion over coffee last week. "I told him, 'You have moved this issue a long way but I don't have the language in front of me and I can't do that to my local representatives. They are on the ground. I'm 2,000 miles away.'"‰ "

Miller agrees with the electeds in his district who say the Delta lacks sufficient representation on the new Delta Stewardship Council.

They want more emphasis on cheaper sources of new water such as recycling and conservation and less reliance on expensive reservoirs or canals.

And they fear its financing mechanism, general obligation bonds, which must be repaid out of the state's general fund, will drain dollars from an already depleted budget.

"The tragedy is that everybody wanted a deal more than they wanted a solution," Miller said. "So, (the proponents) sort of stacked the deck against the Delta counties and yet, they are heavily impacted in terms of development, recreation, business and all the rest of

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it."

WAR FRONT. Miller visited Pakistan earlier this month as part of a congressional team sent to look at how it spends U.S. money fighting terrorism.

He is unimpressed.

Pakistan is a poor partner who selectively targets some Taliban factions while ignoring others, he says.

It's one of the many reasons why he will oppose expansion of U.S. troop levels in neighboring Afghanistan.

"The idea that we will reconstruct Afghanistan into a 21st century society is unrealistic," Miller said.

OLIVE BRANCHES. Miller threw his weight behind another congressional candidate — state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier of Concord — but he holds no grudges against the winner.

Miller helped newly elected Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, secure a coveted seat on the House Transportation Committee despite requests from more senior members. (Garamendi was sworn into office Nov. 5, so everyone has more seniority.)

Garamendi is the only Northern California representative on the key committee, which will write the new national transportation spending blueprint next year.

On the other hand, Garamendi hustled out to Washington, D.C., just in time to help Democrats narrowly pass a health reform package by five votes.

"He came at a critical time," Miller said. "We had the two special elections, Garamendi and (Democrat Bill Owens in New York), and winning both of them, which provided two votes for health care, was a big deal. If either of them had missed their planes, we could probably have delayed the vote."

GOT POLITICS? Read the Political Blotter at www.ibabuzz.com/politics:

  • Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated state Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria as the next lieutenant governor. Steinberg immediately dissed the act as unnecessary and expensive. What, again, does a lieutenant governor do?

    GOT SEAMSTRESS? Brentwood Mayor "Bob Is A Turkey" Taylor has a small problem.

    As you may recall, Taylor promised to hand out holiday food baskets wearing a turkey suit if more than 300 people donated birds in his name to the Community Chest, a local food bank.

    It has been a resounding success. At last count, the food bank had more than 500 turkeys.

    But the feathered friend costume is, well, a bit tight.

    "It needs adjustment for plumpness," said Taylor, who makes no apologies for his healthy appetite. "This is a well-stuffed turkey."

    Reach Lisa Vorderbrueggen at lvorderbrueggen@bayareanewsgroup.com or 925-945-4773 or www.ibabuzz.com/politics.