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PARTY'S SUPPORT OF DAVIS FRAYING
By Jim Puzzanghera and Lori Aratani
Mercury News
WASHINGTON - The Democratic split over Gov. Gray Davis' strategy to survive a recall deepened Thursday, with top party leaders pledging to unite behind him even as prominent California Democrats -- including Sen. Barbara Boxer -- said the party may need a backup on the ballot if Davis loses.
State and national Democratic leaders told reporters in a conference call Thursday that the party is standing firmly behind Davis, despite calls from some congressional Democrats to draft Sen. Dianne Feinstein as an alternative candidate on the Oct. 7 ballot. Davis cannot put his own name on the list of candidates to replace him, and some Democrats want to make sure Californians have another party leader to vote for if the recall succeeds.
``At end of the day, there will be no Democrat on the ballot, other than Governor Davis,'' said Art Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party. ``That is, no Democrat of any substance that can win a statewide election.''
Terry McAuliffe, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Feinstein is ``100 percent supportive of Davis.''
He said he had spoken with Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, and others from the party who have suggested that Feinstein step in, but didn't give details. In the end, he said, ``We're all going to stick together on this one.''
But that unity isn't apparent among California's congressional Democrats.
Alternative advised
Boxer said in an interview Thursday that Democrats need to see how their arguments against the recall -- that it makes California look bad, and that political uncertainty is bad for the state's troubled economy -- are received by voters over the next week. The party is polling voters on the recall. If Democratic arguments against it don't appear to be working, the party must be prepared to shift strategy away from a Davis-only approach before the Aug. 9 filing deadline for candidates, she said.
``If that strategy doesn't work, I'm mature enough and have been in this business long enough to say you don't close off other options,'' Boxer said. ``We'll know in the next five, six, seven days.''
Davis continued to fight for his job Thursday, saying he would not ask the state to pay him back for the cost of fighting the recall if he wins.
``The state's constitution allows my campaign to be reimbursed by the state when I defeat this,'' Davis said in a statement. ``I have decided not to seek any reimbursements, because I know that taxpayer money would be better spent on our kids' schools, health care and public safety.''
Most of California's congressional delegation returned home a week ago for their annual summer recess. As they talk to voters, lawmakers have split into three distinct camps over the recall: wholehearted Davis supporters; those who want Feinstein to enter the race as a replacement candidate for the unpopular governor; and those who aren't sure what to do.
The 33 Democrats who represent California in the House of Representatives are important barometers for the party as they talk with their constituents. The hesitancy of many of them to give unqualified support to Davis could indicate growing concern in the party about whether he can defeat the recall.
``It's not looking good,'' Sanchez said of feedback from people in her Orange County district about Davis' chances. ``A lot of them believe we should have a Democrat on the ballot and believe Dianne would make a good governor.''
Earlier this week, Sanchez and two of her colleagues, Reps. Calvin Dooley, D-Fresno, and Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, publicly urged Feinstein to put her name on the ballot to replace Davis, if for no other reason than as an insurance policy should he lose the recall. Feinstein has said she does not intend to run, but her failure to completely rule it out has led to some optimism among her fellow members of Congress that they could change her mind.
A press officer for Feinstein said the senator had no comment, and that her opposition to running had not changed.
Unity against recall
All 33 California House Democrats signed a public letter June 26 opposing the recall, and they still are united in defeating it.
``All of the elected Democrats in the state want to make sure a right-winger does not seize control of the governor's office, and we're confident we're going to do that,'' said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who chairs the state's Democratic congressional delegation. But she would not say that Davis should be the only Democratic candidate.
``There's a lot of consultation among Democratic leaders on strategy, and we're watching that closely,'' she said in an interview. ``Maybe next week I'll have other things to say.''
Exactly how to defeat the recall is a big question for Democrats.
``If it was designed to annoy the Democrats, they've done a hell of a job,'' Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, said of Republican backers of the recall effort. ``They have just caused us all kind of angst.''
When asked to comment on whether another Democrat should run, three other Bay Area House members responded with statements indicating only their opposition to the recall -- a potentially troubling sign for Davis.
When asked in an interview if Davis should be the only Democrat to run, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto said, ``I think today that's the case.''
Democratic leadership
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, has joined state and national party leaders in arguing that the best way to defeat the recall is to have no other significant Democrat running. Polls have shown that voters are more likely to vote against recalling Davis if they don't have another Democratic alternative.
Pelosi was on vacation Thursday and could not be reached for comment. But her deputy communications director, Jennifer Crider, said Pelosi's position had not changed. ``She thinks that the best way to defeat the recall is that only one Democrat is on the ballot, and that's Gray Davis,'' Crider said.
Stark defers to Pelosi and other party leaders and is supporting Davis -- for now.
``They're all saying let's rally around the governor . . . and I'm on board,'' he said. But Stark added, ``If six or seven of them ganged up on Davis, I'd have to listen.''
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Nauseating to say the least
By Jim Puzzanghera and Lori Aratani
Mercury News
WASHINGTON - The Democratic split over Gov. Gray Davis' strategy to survive a recall deepened Thursday, with top party leaders pledging to unite behind him even as prominent California Democrats -- including Sen. Barbara Boxer -- said the party may need a backup on the ballot if Davis loses.
State and national Democratic leaders told reporters in a conference call Thursday that the party is standing firmly behind Davis, despite calls from some congressional Democrats to draft Sen. Dianne Feinstein as an alternative candidate on the Oct. 7 ballot. Davis cannot put his own name on the list of candidates to replace him, and some Democrats want to make sure Californians have another party leader to vote for if the recall succeeds.
``At end of the day, there will be no Democrat on the ballot, other than Governor Davis,'' said Art Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party. ``That is, no Democrat of any substance that can win a statewide election.''
Terry McAuliffe, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Feinstein is ``100 percent supportive of Davis.''
He said he had spoken with Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, and others from the party who have suggested that Feinstein step in, but didn't give details. In the end, he said, ``We're all going to stick together on this one.''
But that unity isn't apparent among California's congressional Democrats.
Alternative advised
Boxer said in an interview Thursday that Democrats need to see how their arguments against the recall -- that it makes California look bad, and that political uncertainty is bad for the state's troubled economy -- are received by voters over the next week. The party is polling voters on the recall. If Democratic arguments against it don't appear to be working, the party must be prepared to shift strategy away from a Davis-only approach before the Aug. 9 filing deadline for candidates, she said.
``If that strategy doesn't work, I'm mature enough and have been in this business long enough to say you don't close off other options,'' Boxer said. ``We'll know in the next five, six, seven days.''
Davis continued to fight for his job Thursday, saying he would not ask the state to pay him back for the cost of fighting the recall if he wins.
``The state's constitution allows my campaign to be reimbursed by the state when I defeat this,'' Davis said in a statement. ``I have decided not to seek any reimbursements, because I know that taxpayer money would be better spent on our kids' schools, health care and public safety.''
Most of California's congressional delegation returned home a week ago for their annual summer recess. As they talk to voters, lawmakers have split into three distinct camps over the recall: wholehearted Davis supporters; those who want Feinstein to enter the race as a replacement candidate for the unpopular governor; and those who aren't sure what to do.
The 33 Democrats who represent California in the House of Representatives are important barometers for the party as they talk with their constituents. The hesitancy of many of them to give unqualified support to Davis could indicate growing concern in the party about whether he can defeat the recall.
``It's not looking good,'' Sanchez said of feedback from people in her Orange County district about Davis' chances. ``A lot of them believe we should have a Democrat on the ballot and believe Dianne would make a good governor.''
Earlier this week, Sanchez and two of her colleagues, Reps. Calvin Dooley, D-Fresno, and Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, publicly urged Feinstein to put her name on the ballot to replace Davis, if for no other reason than as an insurance policy should he lose the recall. Feinstein has said she does not intend to run, but her failure to completely rule it out has led to some optimism among her fellow members of Congress that they could change her mind.
A press officer for Feinstein said the senator had no comment, and that her opposition to running had not changed.
Unity against recall
All 33 California House Democrats signed a public letter June 26 opposing the recall, and they still are united in defeating it.
``All of the elected Democrats in the state want to make sure a right-winger does not seize control of the governor's office, and we're confident we're going to do that,'' said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who chairs the state's Democratic congressional delegation. But she would not say that Davis should be the only Democratic candidate.
``There's a lot of consultation among Democratic leaders on strategy, and we're watching that closely,'' she said in an interview. ``Maybe next week I'll have other things to say.''
Exactly how to defeat the recall is a big question for Democrats.
``If it was designed to annoy the Democrats, they've done a hell of a job,'' Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, said of Republican backers of the recall effort. ``They have just caused us all kind of angst.''
When asked to comment on whether another Democrat should run, three other Bay Area House members responded with statements indicating only their opposition to the recall -- a potentially troubling sign for Davis.
When asked in an interview if Davis should be the only Democrat to run, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto said, ``I think today that's the case.''
Democratic leadership
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, has joined state and national party leaders in arguing that the best way to defeat the recall is to have no other significant Democrat running. Polls have shown that voters are more likely to vote against recalling Davis if they don't have another Democratic alternative.
Pelosi was on vacation Thursday and could not be reached for comment. But her deputy communications director, Jennifer Crider, said Pelosi's position had not changed. ``She thinks that the best way to defeat the recall is that only one Democrat is on the ballot, and that's Gray Davis,'' Crider said.
Stark defers to Pelosi and other party leaders and is supporting Davis -- for now.
``They're all saying let's rally around the governor . . . and I'm on board,'' he said. But Stark added, ``If six or seven of them ganged up on Davis, I'd have to listen.''
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Nauseating to say the least
