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Fellow Democrat's decision shatters Davis' united front ``I'm very pleased with Senator Feinstein's announcement,'' Davis said during an interview on KGO radio Wednesday. ``To the extent that Democrats get in the race, it makes it look like a normal election, and legitimates what is really an effort by the right wing to steal back an election they couldn't win last November. I think at the end of the day people will realize that the party is better served rallying around its sitting governor.'' Davis' strategy, backed by top state and national party leaders, has been to keep other Democrats off the ballot. Polls have shown that Davis has a better chance of defeating the recall if there is no respected Democrat on the ballot as a replacement. But Feinstein's decision may have cost Democrats their best chance to win in October, said Republican consultant Dan Schnur. ``Feinstein's entry into the race might have finished off Gray Davis, but she was by far their best hope of holding on to the governor's office,'' Schnur said. ``She would have been a strong favorite from the outset.'' For that reason, Feinstein's decision was more important to Davis than the announcement by Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican who appeals to some Democrats, said Jack Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California. Polls consistently have shown Feinstein to be the state's most popular politician, and she could have had a major impact on the recall, possibly leading many Democrats to vote in favor of ousting Davis in order to pick her as a replacement. Several Democrats, including Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., have expressed concern in recent days about the party's strategy, suggesting the party might need a backup if polls show Davis' support slipping among voters. The filing deadline is Saturday. Other potential candidates include former California Secretary of State March Fong Eu and former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, and state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Fresno, have said they would consider running if Feinstein did not. None, however, has the stature and popularity of Feinstein. She said in June that she had no intention of running in the recall election. But some interpreted her wording as leaving the possibility open, and her name continued to surface as a potential candidate. ``First and foremost, I deeply believe the recall is a terrible mistake and will bring the depth and breadth of California instability and uncertainty, which will be detrimental to our economic recovery and decision-making,'' Feinstein, who has served a decade in the U.S. Senate, said in a written statement.
She added that she could best serve the state in the Senate, citing some of her priorities, which include reauthorizing the assault-weapons ban that she helped push into law in 1994.
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