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Anti-recall strategy: It's Davis or GOP The public statements by Treasurer Phil Angelides, Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Controller Steve Westly and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi followed weekend strategy sessions held in Sacramento by the California Labor Federation to determine how Democratic politicians and organized labor could best block a recall from going forward. The labor federation's executive secretary-treasurer, Art Pulaski, said the focus of the session was how to stop recall supporters from collecting the 897,158 voter signatures needed under state law to hold a special election this fall or next spring. Democratic voters may be less open to the recall, Pulaski said, if they know their only option is to replace Davis, unpopular because of a state energy crisis and a budget crisis, with a Republican. "It's a message to voters now that says, 'Your choices are stark choices,' " he said. The four Democrats, Pulaski said, are "willing to step aside -- and I'm sure it's hard -- to say, 'This is not right for California, and I'm going to do the principled thing and wait my turn.' " However, political consultants suspected their motivations were more complicated than doing what was best for their party. "A number of polls have shown that Angelides and Lockyer are both surprisingly weak in a recall election for governor" compared with Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, said Republican consultant Kevin Spillane. "They're trying to look like they're Democratic loyalists and win political brownie points for not running in an election that they would be almost certain to lose." Democratic political consultant Gale Kaufman said the recall poses an unusual challenge for prospective candidates. Not only have they no way of knowing how many others will join the race or when it will be held, the recall election schedule will provide relatively little time to campaign compared to a typical election. "Part of the calculation for anybody is the uncertainty in this kind of race," Kaufman said, "and why put yourself at substantial risk when you are a viable candidate for 2006?" Bustamante has not pledged to stay out of a recall, although he has spoken out against it. Neither has another Democrat, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who, as the most popular California politician in polls, is considered the strongest potential replacement candidate from either party should a recall election qualify for the ballot. Both have had rocky relations with Davis over the years. But Feinstein dislikes recalls, having been the target of a failed attempt two decades ago as mayor of San Francisco. Her political strategist said she plans to run for re-election in 2006, and in recent days she has contacted several Democrats individually, asking them to actively oppose the recall. On Tuesday, Angelides' pledge came during noontime remarks to the Sacramento Press Club when he said, "I do not intend, nor will I consider, running in this recall election." Within hours, Lockyer issued a statement saying, "I do not intend to submit my name as a candidate" if the recall qualifies for a special election. Said Garamendi, "I have no intention of running should the recall qualify." Westly pledged not to run prior to the weekend labor session. His staff reiterated the pledge Tuesday in a statement saying Westly "said today that he will not run for governor this year should a recall qualify for the state ballot." The recall campaign was launched in February by anti-tax advocates and conservative Republicans who blamed Davis for a state budget deficit that has swelled to $38.2 billion and opposed tax increases the governor suggested.
It languished until April, when
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