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Abortion backers join fight against Davis recall In a series of news conferences organized by Davis allies who are fighting the recall, leaders from Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the California Abortion Rights Action League and other groups highlighted U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa's opposition to abortion. Issa, R-Vista, is funding much of the recall effort and plans to run for governor if it gets on the ballot. "This is absolutely our top political priority. We need this recall effort to fail to qualify and we're calling on pro-choice voters to boycott petitions," said Kathy Kneer, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. "Darrell Issa knows he would never win in a face-to-face race with a pro-choice candidate; he needs a special election," she said. Until recently, Kneer said, Planned Parenthood was concentrating on working for Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer's re-election next year. The group's shift in focus is the latest sign that a recall election is being viewed as a real possibility and supporters and opponents are gearing up for a full-blown campaign. Recall backers dismissed the effort. "There are some people who are desperate to change the focus of this recall away from Gray Davis' record, and I don't think it's going to work," said Dave Gilliard, director of Rescue California Recall Gray Davis. "It doesn't matter what position you have on abortion. You're hurt by a budget in $38 billion deficit; you're hurt by rising taxes; you're hurt because jobs are fleeing the state," Gilliard said.
Recall supporters claim to have collected nearly 600,000 of the 897,158 signatures they must submit by Sept. 2 to get the recall on the ballot. They want to turn in the signatures next month to force a special election in the fall.
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