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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (432468)	7/24/2003 9:58:53 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 769670

Democrats Caught Plotting to Worsen California's Budget Crisis You know the Democrats have done something awful when even the leftist Los Angeles Times breaks ranks and exposes them. "In a meeting they thought was private but was actually broadcast around the Capitol on Monday, 11 Assembly Democrats debated prolonging California's budget crisis to further their political goals." Members of Democratic Study Group, which has pushed to confiscate billions more dollars from taxpayers, failed to note that a microphone in a committee room in the state Capitol was on as they schemed about using the Dems' favorite tactic, obstructionism, to pressure Republicans into accepting the Dems' favorite non-solution, tax increases, to fix Gov. Gray Davis' $38 billion budget deficit. "The conversation was transmitted to roughly 500 'squawk boxes' around Sacramento that political staff, lobbyists and reporters use to listen in on legislative proceedings," the Times reported today. Leftist Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg of Los Angeles said: "Since this is going to be a crisis, the crisis could be this year. No one's running [for re-election]. And maybe you end up better off than you would have, and maybe you don't. But what you do is you show people that you can't get to this without a 55 percent vote." The state Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of the Legislature to approve any tax increase, but the ballot initiative would let the Legislature sock taxpayers with a vote by only 55 percent of legislators. Assemblyman Fabian Nunez, also of L.A., agreed. "If you don't have a budget, it helps Democrats," he said. Democrats to the Poor: Drop Dead! The Times admitted, "While a delay might serve the tactical advantage of Democrats, its consequences are already being felt by students, vendors and the poor: Since the new fiscal year began July 1 without a budget, the state has already begun to cut off money to some programs." Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chairman John Campbell, R-Irvine, listened to about 20 minutes of the meeting on the squawk box in his office. "It sounded like they were hoping to create a crisis at some point to further their political gains in other areas," he said. "I thought that was outrageous." He said that the Democrats talked about exploiting the public's distaste for the (Democrat-run) Legislature. "They were worried that if the Legislature appeared to have dealt with the budget crisis, the initiative may not play well," he said. "This is very surprising, considering they are in charge." "Their intention is to destroy the state of California and its financial base," said Assembly Minority Leader Dave Cox of Fair Oaks. "They intend to hold up the budget." After an hour and a half, a staff member finally told the dimwitted Democrats that their meeting was being broadcast. "Oh [expletive], [expletive]," Goldberg said. "The squawk box is on," the underling said. "You need to turn it off right there." "How could that happen?" Goldberg said. She later refused to apologize even after being caught red-handed and with foot in mouth. "We're in a crisis. You don't have to precipitate one. The question is whether we should make that crisis happen now when it's really happening," was the best Goldberg could offer. "When you wait a year, you double the amount you have to cut. Is it better to do it now or next year?"

To: American Spirit who wrote (432468)	7/24/2003 6:56:11 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Respond to of 769670

California Gov. Davis to Face Recall Election Oct. 7 More Than 1.3 Million Valid Signatures on Recall Petitions By William Booth and Rene Sanchez Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, July 24, 2003; 1:52 PM LOS ANGELES, July 24 -- California Gov. Gray Davis (D) will face a special recall election on Oct. 7, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (D) announced today. Bustamante's announcement came after the state's top elections officer certified last night that the signatures of more than 1.3 million voters who signed recall petitions were valid. This marks only the second time in U.S. history that citizens have won the chance to oust a sitting governor. By law, Bustamante was required to pick a date to hold the election within 60 to 80 days. The bland Davis, already one of the most unpopular leaders in the nation, previously disparaged the recall activists as "losers." Yesterday, he renewed his vow to fight to the very end against what he called "a hostile takeover by the right." Last night's announcement by California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley that a recall election would be held capped a remarkable political saga -- and signals a major embarrassment for the Democrats and Davis, who was once considered a likely contender for the White House. Just a few months ago, most political handicappers thought the recall effort had little chance of getting on the ballot, but the movement to remove Davis tapped into deep unhappiness among voters who have watched in shock and awe as the state stumbled through a self-made energy crisis and is now essentially broke and saddled with an unprecedented $38 billion budget shortfall. Into this breach come Republicans such as film actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is seriously considering offering himself as a Davis successor. California, already on the cutting edge for its embrace of voter initiatives, is making history again. Since the recall option was made law in 1911, there have been 31 failed attempts to get one on the ballot in California. The attempt to haul Davis before voters less than a year after he was narrowly elected to a second term also appeared doomed until Rep. Darrell Issa (R), a car-alarm impresario from suburban San Diego, put up $1.7 million of his own money to employ professional signature-gatherers to get ink on petitions. Shelley confirmed tonight that Issa's troops had gathered in excess of 1.3 million valid signatures; they needed 897,158 to qualify the recall for the ballot. Issa, who also wants to replace Davis, tonight called the recall "a landmark for California" and blamed Davis for the state's budget shortfall. Other critics have assailed Davis for what they call gross mismanagement of the state's energy and fiscal affairs. Bustamante said today he will issue a call for a two-part ballot that will ask first whether Davis should be recalled and second who should replace him if he is ousted. Earlier, Bustamante had said he would leave the question of how to choose a possible Davis successor to an independent panel and the California Supreme Court's reading of the state constitution. Had the question gone before the high court, it could have ruled that if Davis was removed by voters, his successor would automatically be Bustamante. That inevitably would have been challenged by GOP hopefuls who want to be on the ballot. County election officials have warned that holding a special election in so short a time (usually they have about 131 days to print and mail ballots and train poll workers) is a recipe for an electoral debacle like the one that engulfed Florida after the 2000 presidential election. California is also in the middle of modernizing its voting systems. The short timeframe also places pressure on possible candidates to replace Davis. The field is wildly uncertain. All it takes is 65 signatures and $3,500 to get on the ballot. But because the election appears to be on such a fast track, anyone with ambitions of replacing Davis now may have only a few days to decide whether to run. Only Issa and a Green Party candidate, Peter Canejo, have committed to running. But the Republican and Democratic parties here are buzzing with behind-the-scenes intrigue about other prospective recall campaigns. Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has never sought public office, has flirted with the idea of running against Davis for months. He also has organized a campaign team that would consist mostly of advisers to former two-term California governor Pete Wilson (R), whom Davis replaced in 1999. But several Republican strategists with ties to Schwarzenegger said yesterday that his wife, journalist Maria Shriver, is opposed to his running -- and that her opposition could keep him out of the race. "Arnold is ready to go," said a prominent Republican official. "But she doesn't really want him to do this." If Schwarzenegger doesn't run, his friend Richard Riordan, the former mayor of Los Angeles, might. Riordan is a moderate Republican with a record of attracting Democratic voters. He ran for governor last year, but his campaign did not entice conservative Republicans and fizzled in the GOP primary. Polls suggested that he could have beaten Davis in the general election. The candidate that Davis defeated in November, Republican businessman Bill Simon, also may run in the recall election. Democrats, meanwhile, have rallied behind Davis. Every prominent elected official in the party here has vowed not to run in the recall. But some Democratic officials are so worried that Davis could be ousted -- because less than 25 percent of voters say he is doing a good job -- there is continuing chatter about whether the party should embrace a "caretaker" candidate who is in better standing with the public and who could complete the governor's term but not run for reelection in 2006. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) and former congressman Leon Panetta, who was President Bill Clinton's White House chief of staff, have been approached with such overtures but have rebuffed them. The recall ballot also may be packed with lesser names because the requirements for qualifying are much easier than in regular elections. If voters decide to recall Davis, the winner of the election would need only a plurality of votes -- not a majority -- and would take office immediately.