Circular firing squad*,**

Five Republican lawmakers so far have become targets for recall in the wake of the recent state budget deal.

Assemblyman Anthony Adams of Claremont and state Sens. Abel Maldonado and Roy Ashburn have all been targeted because they voted for the budget package, which includes tax increases (a package that voters still have to approve before it takes effect - if they vote yes, will we have to recall them?).

Assemblymen Jeff Miller and Jim Silva have been targeted because they didn't support a failed coup against Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, who negotiated and supported the budget deal. Villines counterpart in the Senate, Sen. Dave Cogdill, was sacked and replaced with a more conservative conservative.

*Updated March 12, 3:38 p.m.: Ashburn dodged a first bullet. Turns out the recall effort failed to gather the 40 valid signatures needed to get the process going, although the man driving the recall effort pledged to try again.

**Updated March 12, 9:01 p.m.: The P-E reports that the man leading the recall effort against Adams is the chief financial officer of JohnsonClark Associates, the same Sacramento campaign consultant that will run Adams' anti-recall campaign. (h/t Capitol Alert)