Rescue California

-0

As Issa raises recall funds, Davis aides ready offensive

June 10, 2003

LOS ANGELES - Republican Rep. Darrell Issa has contributed another $200,000 to the campaign to recall Gray Davis, the Democrat he wants to replace as governor, according to records posted on the California secretary of state's Web site Monday.

The latest check boosts Issa's total commitment to the recall effort to $645,000. The money comes from Greene Properties Inc. of Vista, a company Issa and his wife own.

Issa's contribution represents the bulk of the approximately $1 million raised by recall supporters.

Taxpayers Against the Recall have reported raising about $500,000, including $100,000 reported Monday from Zenith Insurance Co. of Woodland Hills, a major provider of workers' compensation insurance whose chairman Stanley Zax is a longtime Davis supporter.

Issa, R-Vista, plans to begin campaigning this weekend, addressing an annual gathering of moderate Republicans near Santa Barbara on Saturday and talking to party members in Orange County later in the day.

Davis allies, meanwhile, are seeking to keep the focus away from the governor and on Issa.

They've scheduled news conferences and demonstrations today in Beverly Hills, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, where abortion rights supporters plan to draw attention to the congressman's opposition to abortion.

"Basically, the message they're going to be sending tomorrow is Darrell Issa shouldn't be allowed to recall a woman's right to choose," said Carroll Wills, spokesman for Taxpayers Against the Recall, the group of Davis allies that organized last month to fight the recall campaign.

Dave Gilliard, director of Rescue California Recall Gray Davis, dismissed the move as a "desperation tactic."

"I think they've finally woken up to the fact that this recall is going to qualify and there's going to be an election in the fall," he said.

Issa campaign consultant Scott Taylor said Issa opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when a mother's life is in danger, but has not supported a constitutional amendment banning abortion, as recall opponents claimed in a news release announcing today's rallies.

Recall backers must collect nearly 900,000 valid signatures by Sept. 2 to get the measure on the ballot.

On Monday, they claimed to have collected 587,000 and said they expected to reach the required number in July, which could result in a special election in the fall.

Taxpayers Against the Recall said Monday they've collected some 200,000 signatures on petitions opposing the recall.