Don Perata, the top Democrat in the state senate, has decided to drop his campaign to recall Republican state senator Jeff Denham. A wise move, but perhaps too late. The recall has added to Denham's profile and may make him more politically influential than he was before. (Other California pols who survived recalls -- notably Dianne Feinstein -- gained politically from the experience). And it's too late to remove the question from the ballot--voters in Denham's district will still see the recall on the ballot June 3.

Updated: Here, via the Sacramento Bee, is Perata's statement. It's wildly different than what he told the Associated Press in a fire-breathing interview last week -- that he needed a Democrat in Denham's seat to protect programs and get a budget passed. (Perata added that it was "immaterial" whether Denham's vote against last year's budget -- the number one reason given for seeking his recall -- proved to be right). To some Capitol observers, this reversal on the recall is part of a pattern of erratic decisionmaking by Perata, who soon will be replaced by State Senator Darrell Steinberg.