CA: Davis Recall: Too little democracy, or too much?

Sacramento Bee Weblog ^ | June 20, 2003 | Daniel Weintraub

[pushforbush]

California Insider A Weblog by Sacramento Bee Columnist Daniel Weintraub June 20, 2003 Too little democracy, or too much? Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante has added his name to the list of top Democrats who

[pushforbush]

Even the long time press and political insiders in California are giving the Davis Recall some credibility.

[backhoe]

I think ultimately that’s what bothers the elites, including Republican Party leaders and folks like the Business Roundtable. They have grown used to elections being a fairly private affair among insiders, who anoint the favorites and control the money that’s the lifeblood of modern campaigning. The recall is messy, it’s risky, it’s scary. Most of all it’s unpredictable. Who knows what the people will do? The insiders simply can’t accept this.

Pretty good summation. I can see merit to both sides, but for me there is an irreducable bottom line- people who hold office need to be accountable to the people they serve. They are not Kings, or Princes, or Bishops- they are servants of the citizens, and if enough citizens want them out, they need to be replaced.

[.38sw]

Every report I’ve seen about the signature-gathering process suggests these folks are being mobbed by voters eager to add their names to the list.

I was carrying around a clipboard with petitions at a gunshow in Vallejo a while back. I had a "Recall Gray Davis - Sign the Petition" sign taped to the back of the clipboard for people to see. While not exactly mobbed, I had people walk up to me and nearly grab the clipboard out of my hands in their eagerness to sign. And nobody is paying me to gather signatures.

[NormsRevenge]

June 20th Bump

[Enterprise]

The last figure I heard was 800,000 signatures collected. But I think the removal of a high profile liberal is a good place to start to send a national message of anger over their governing practices. Sure, they might squeak by in a close election, but they still have to govern responsibly. Pencil-neck-geek Davis had plenty of opportunity to control spending. And now, 38 billion deficit dollars later, he wonders how much longer he might be the Governor. And if I may, I want to remind liberals that election to office is the voter's permission to "govern," not permission to plunder.

[OldFriend]

California Supreme Court can always pull a NJ Soprano's stunt and change the law right about now.

[Cable225]

“The will of the many,” he said, “should not be set aside for the ambition of a few.”

This guy's been watching too much Star Trek

[OldFriend]

During the NJ senate race it became clear that Toricelli would lose the seat. He appealed to the NJ Supreme Court to ignore the law about changing candidates AFTER a certain date. The NJ Supreme Court decided that the law didn't matter and they allowed the dems to substitute Frank Lautenberg for Toricelli.

[janetgreen]

Cruz Bustamante says: “The will of the many,” he said, “should not be set aside for the ambition of a few.”

Oh really, Cruz? You were singing a different tune when Proposition 187 emerged. You crowed when it was shot down by one of your liberal judge buddies. Proposition 187 was overwhelmingly approved by California voters because we were sick and tired of being forced to pay for everything so illegal aliens could live here. We lost to you and your buddies.

[Regulator]

Bustamante is an illegal alien.

Illegal aliens should be deported.

So, deport Bustamante.

[Regulator]

They have grown used to elections being a fairly private affair among insiders, who anoint the favorites and control the money that’s the lifeblood of modern campaigning

Amazing that Weintraub wrote this. That's right...all of them are terrified of a process they can't control.

[janetgreen]

Cruz is illegal? Isn't that illegal? You're kidding, right?

[Regulator]

Actually...the story is that he claims to have been born in Merced, but no one seems to be able to find a birth record.

His parents were from U-No-Where, and there aren't any immigration records on him.

So...there's no proof either way that Cruz is here legally.

Just what I've read.

[Maelstrom]

You think Californians have forgotten how to lynch people?

[Jeff Gordon]

No. The last lynching for hanging in the United States took place in San Jose in 1933.

[45Auto]

I do look for the RAT in the woodpile to be the Cal SC; they are, by and large, a big part of the problem, a majority of the court being very liberal. There has not been any real separation of powers in Cal government in a long time; all three branches work together to undermine liberty. The recall is a delicious reminder that they are NOT masters of the people - only temporary servants. In that, they must bear a certain fiscal responsibility - something the neo-Marxist Cal legislature does not even understand. The legislature IS the problem in Cal.

[OldFriend]

Spoke to bro in law in CA tonite. He said he has gotten dozens of people to sign the petition. Dems and Repubs......they are sick of Davis. Want him gone gone gone.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Pretty good summation. I can see merit to both sides, but for me there is an irreducable bottom line- people who hold office need to be accountable to the people they serve. They are not Kings, or Princes, or Bishops- they are servants of the citizens, and if enough citizens want them out, they need to be replaced.

A successful recall can resonate across the Nation!

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