The Democratic Senate leader says he was "completely shocked" to find his name among the list of people to watch from the conservative leaning newspaper.
But now that he leads a legislature with a Democratic
supermajority, the Wall Street Journal says Steinberg has become
one of the state's most powerful figures.
Steinberg says he's humbled, but says the state's emergence
from its budget deficit deserves more credit.
Steinberg: "We were on the verge of an economic collapse
in 2009 and not only are we through that, at great pain, but we are
now ready to begin a new era in California that will be better and
gives us a chance to reinvest with a feeling of greater confidence.
I think there's something to learn from California's
experience."
The state faces a small budget deficit this year compared to
the 42 billion dollar hole in 2009.
Others on the Journal's list include Federal Reserve Vice
Chair Janet Yellen, Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman and Yahoo CEO
Marissa Mayer.