 |
 -0 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
Recall drive nears petition target The recall is not only hot political news, it is hot entertainment news, headlined by the prospect of "Terminator 4: The Politician." Propelled by public fury over the state's budget crisis – and promoted heavily through conservative talk radio and the Internet – the dump-Davis movement has become a populist prairie fire unseen since the Proposition 13 tax revolt of 1978. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, who has pumped $1.15 million of his own money into the recall petition campaign, announced at a Fourth of July rally in Newport Beach that more than 1 million signatures have been submitted to county election officials throughout California. County registrars report a sharp upsurge in petition activity in recent weeks, bringing the official target of 897,158 valid signatures within reach. Sally McPherson, San Diego County's registrar of voters, said more than 86 percent of the signatures checked were found to be valid – an unusually high rate. Recall sponsors say they will have submitted more than 1.2 million signatures by their self-imposed Friday deadline, enough to require a gubernatorial recall election this fall. All the while, bodybuilder-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is traveling the world talking himself up as a potential Republican candidate for governor as he promotes his latest action movie, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." "It certainly is creating a political circus maxima out here, which is analogous to what took place in Florida at the end of 2000," said former Al Gore spokesman Chris Lehane, who is now advising Davis. Polls show Californians to be sharply divided over the wisdom of a recall election, but support is growing. A Los Angeles Times poll conducted last week showed those surveyed favoring Davis' removal 51 percent to 42 percent. In March, the same survey showed only 39 percent backing the recall. Davis' future is only half of the equation. The other half – who would replace him – remains a muddle. One thing seems certain: It would be a free-for-all. All the would-be successors, regardless of party, would be listed on the same ballot. If a majority voted to boot Davis from office, whichever candidate got the most votes would become governor. "It's impossible to even calculate the variety of scenarios that could occur," said Republican strategist Kevin Spillane. "Are any Democrats going to file in the successor election? Is Schwarzenegger going to run? Is (Bill) Simon going to run? Is someone that we haven't thought of?" In a gesture of partisan solidarity, all of California's statewide elected officials – all Democrats like Davis – have declared they will not be candidates for governor if the recall qualifies for the ballot. "There will be a Democrat on the ballot: Gray Davis," said Art Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party. Last week, Peter Camejo, the 2002 Green Party nominee for governor, announced he would run to give Democrats dissatisfied with Davis an option. Still, clearing the recall field of Democrats would be an enormous gamble, and few would be surprised if the united front crumbles once an election is called. "I think it's absolutely the right strategy for now," said Democratic political consultant Darry Sragow. "I don't believe for a second it will hold if in fact the recall qualifies and there is pretty clear evidence in terms of opinion research that the recall is likely to succeed." Democrats, who once dismissed the recall as a lark, are now in full battle mode, adopting Florida-style rhetoric to portray the recall as the handiwork of right-wing extremists and sore losers.
Yesterday, they announced that an anti-recall campaign had
|
|
|
