Davis taking recall seriously
GOVERNOR'S CAMP TO START CAMPAIGN AGAINST OUSTER
May 29, 2003
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grudgingly acknowledge that a recall election is a real threat now that Issa has joined the ragtag band of Davis critics. Bob Mulholland, a state Democratic Party spokesman, said Issa ``has the money, so he can make it happen.''
Davis, a prolific fundraiser who had curbed his solicitations, has restarted his fundraising machine. As of January, his war chest was, for him, a paltry $1.4 million. Since April, Davis has raised at least $66,000. And last week, he held a $5,000-a-ticket golf tournament in Carmel.
In another sign of how seriously the Davis camp is taking the recall, two top aides -- Steve Smith, secretary of labor and workforce development, and Eric Bauman, director of the governor's Los Angeles office -- will leave their jobs to run the anti-recall campaign, Terry said.
Hoping to blunt the recall, Davis supporters are paying signature gatherers top dollar to circulate a petition that labels the recall an abuse of power. It does not mention Davis by name. It's a common tactic in ballot measures to lock up the professional signature gatherers who might otherwise work for the other side.
Proponents of the Davis recall claim to have collected over 200,000 signatures in the last two weeks.
``Our goal is not to get them turned in the first week,'' said Republican consultant Sal Russo, who is directing one of three recall efforts. ``Our goal is to get them done by July Fourth.''
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Contact Mark Gladstone at mgladstone@mercurynews.com or (916) 325-4314.
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