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Recall signature wrap-up Issa could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for the union-backed campaign organizing opposition to the recall said his group was not ready to concede there will be an election. "We'll believe it when we see it," said Carroll Wills of Taxpayers Against the Governor's Recall. For Gilliard, it was a foregone conclusion. In the afternoon, he flew from Sacramento to Orange County, where he was scheduled to meet privately with several top Republican donors and to begin conducting focus groups to shape an election strategy. He has set a $15 million budget for a recall campaign akin to a general election, to include polling and advertising. He expected Davis to ramp up fund-raising efforts as well. In a recall election, Rescue California would not advocate for any specific alternative candidates but simply against Davis. Voters would be asked whether to retain Davis and who should replace him if the recall succeeds. Several Republicans in addition to Issa are considering running, including actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and investor Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in last November's election. Money manager Peter Camejo, a Green Party member who also lost to Davis last fall, plans to run. Leading Democrats have said they will stay out of a recall election. Anti-tax activist Ted Costa and former lawmaker Howard Kaloogian called for a recall in February, but they struggled for lack of money. The paid effort, driven by Issa, lasted only eight weeks. It was targeted by the anti-recall group, which lured away signature gatherers by offering to pay them 25 cents more per signature to circulate nonbinding petitions opposing the recall. "From a personal point of view, it was a real challenge because I had four signature-gathering companies trying to block me by carrying the pro-Davis petition," said Tom Bader, who coordinated Rescue California's signature gathering. The signature drive picked up steam in late June as voters reacted to news that the state would triple annual car-registration fees because of budget woes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About the Writer ---------------------------
The Bee's Margaret Talev can be reached at (916) 326-5540 or mtalev@sacbee.com.
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