George Skelton: Being mayor is different from being a legislator. But Bass has shined in every political job

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Back when she was a legislative leader, one rare quality that impressed me about Karen Bass was her candor in admitting ignorance about a complex subject.

Usually, politicians will try to fake their way through answering a reporter's question involving an issue they don't know squat about.

Or if they do assert that more thought is needed, it's often because they're afraid to say what's really on their mind.

Bass, , had just risen to Assembly speaker, the second-most powerful elective state office, surpassed only by governor. This was in 2008 and we