Key Calif. Democrats reject recall, add a caveat

Growing strategy says no to ouster, yes to Bustamante

By By Beth Fouhy Associated Press, 8/22/2003

SAN FRANCISCO -- California's congressional Democrats urged voters yesterday to oppose the recall but vote for Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, underscoring their fears that a Republican could unseat Governor Gray Davis in the Oct. 7 election.

Davis, meanwhile, was stepping up efforts to fight for his job, appearing with the state's most popular Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and then holding a town hall-style meeting in a San Francisco suburb in the afternoon.

Speaking before the California Black Chamber of Commerce in Millbrae, Davis charged that the recall, like the Clinton impeachment and Florida's vote-counting debacle in the 2000 presidential election, is part of a pattern of Republican interference in the democratic process.

"Some Republicans in this country are determined to steal an election they can't win," said Davis, who received a standing ovation.

The move by California's 33 House Democrats reflects a growing pessimism about Davis's chances, with polls showing his popularity reaching one all-time low after another.

"We will strongly express our firm opposition to this misguided effort between now and Election Day and we will strongly campaign against it," Representative Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, chairwoman of the delegation, said in a statement.

"In addition, we ask that after Californians vote `no' and reject the recall, they cast a vote for Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante," the statement said. "We believe that whenever there is an election, Californians should always cast their vote."

Davis supporters had urged fellow Democrats to stay off the ballot. Once his lieutenant governor decided to run, Davis still hoped to keep Democrats united against the recall without throwing their support behind Bustamante.

Aides sought to present the congressional Democrats' announcement in a positive light.

"We kind of look at it this way: We're all focused on the same goal, and that's defeating the recall. There's just different strategies out there about how to go about it," said Gabriel Sanchez, spokesman for Davis's campaign committee.

In an appearance Wednesday, Davis said that Bustamante's campaign might help him by bringing more anti-recall voters to the polls, adding that the two might campaign together at some point.

The move by the congressional delegation came as a new poll showed 58 percent of likely voters would recall Davis, while 36 percent were opposed. If the Democratic governor is removed, 23 percent of respondents said they would replace him with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, while 18 percent would choose Bustamante. None of the other 133 candidates topped 5 percent, the Public Policy Institute of California poll showed.

Not all leading Democrats were behind the Bustamante strategy. During her appearance with Davis yesterday, Feinstein split with her colleagues in Congress.

"I am not going to vote on the second part of the ballot. I am going to vote on the first part of the ballot and my vote is going to be to vote `no' on the recall," the state's senior senator said.

California's other senator, Democrat Barbara Boxer, is supporting the "no on recall, yes on Bustamante" approach.

The decision by the House members could increase pressure on Republicans to unite behind a single candidate. In addition to Schwarzenegger, former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth, businessman Bill Simon, and state Senator Tom McClintock are on the ballot on the Republican side.

Those candidates have been under pressure from some leading party members to get out of the race, and the Republican who funded the recall, US Representative Darrell Issa of Vista, has already dropped out.

Davis and Feinstein were in Los Angeles to call on Congress to make its 1994 ban on assault weapons permanent. Davis has held a series of events focused on gun control, the environment, and other key issues as he seeks to shore up his support with core Democratic voters. "I fought in a war. And I can tell you straight out assault weapons are designed to do one thing: Kill people and kill them quickly. So when the gun lobby says guns don't kill, people do, I beg to differ," Davis said.

Schwarzenegger has said he supports "sensible gun controls," including a ban on assault weapons.

Davis slipped in a famous phrase from a recent adviser, Bill Clinton, as he said his popularity sank with the economy.

"The fact is the entire nation is going through a tough time, with a tough economy -- 3 million jobs have been lost -- and people feel that here. I feel their pain, if you will," Davis said.