California's new Assembly speaker

In one of a democracy's most undemocratic exercises, members of the chamber's majority party pick their speaker out of ambition, angling to win a spot on the best committees or backing for a bill, and out of fear, hoping not to get stuck with the most inconvenient Capitol parking space. Part of the calculation is longevity; in 2004, members assured stability when they selected newcomer Fabian Nuñez. That staying power, as much as Nuñez's personality, helped Democrats broker deals with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. They went a different way with Bass, who has only two years left in the Assembly; her more junior colleagues may already be jockeying to succeed her.

It's impossible to predict just how well anyone will perform as speaker, but we wish Bass the best. In doing so, we're wishing the best for Los Angeles -- by unwritten tradition all recent Assembly speakers have represented districts here and helped the city get its fair share -- and for all the people of California, whose lives during her tenure will be directly affected by the state's financial crisis and by the budget agreements she reaches with Schwarzenegger.