Recall Sucking Oxygen From California Senate Race (Davis recall helps Boxer)

Roll Call ^ | 6/12/03 | Josh Kurtz

[Rensselaer]

A meeting this weekend of 400 California Republican moderates was supposed to be a showcase for the party’s potential 2004 Senate contenders, culminating in a straw poll to bless a favorite.

Instead, the confab in the hills above Santa Barbara is likely to be dominated by talk of the effort to recall California Gov. Gray Davis (D).

Three potential Senate candidates are still scheduled to address the Brooks Firestone Republican Weekend, an annual event organized by Firestone, a former state Assemblyman and wealthy GOP power broker. But the straw poll has been scotched.

And now, two conservative politicians closely associated with the recall drive — Rep. Darrell Issa (R) and businessman Bill Simon, the GOP’s gubernatorial nominee in 2002 — have been granted speaking slots. While hardly the favorites of party moderates, both are considered likely candidates for governor if a recall election winds up on the ballot.

“We don’t exclude anybody who wants to talk to our people,” said Brandon Gesicki, a California GOP consultant who works with Firestone.

But the urgency of the discussion about the recall highlights a dilemma for Golden State and national Republicans as they seek a strong challenger to two-term Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) next year: The recall could wind up drowning the Senate race out completely.

“The recall’s affecting everything in California politics,” said Dan Schnur, a Sacramento-based GOP strategist who is advising one potential Senate candidate, Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.). “There’s no reason the Senate race should be an exception.”

...

“The Senate candidate will not receive any attention while the recall is on — that much is a given,” said one Sacramento-based GOP operative. “It could also affect fundraising.”

That’s not insignificant for a race where the Republican nominee will probably need $20 million to be competitive.

...

[TheAngryClam]

What makes you think that there will be a GOP governor? We can't win it against Davis with one candidate, and there are going to be several of them running in the recall, splitting the vote.

[Dahoser]

Yes, and that same Bustamante had a Central Valley educational center named after him then commissioned a bust of himself to be placed on display there (you can bet at taxpayer expense).

Utterly disgusting. Glad I haven't had breakfast yet, though now it won't be for hours because of that.

[No Dems 2004]

You're forgetting that as long as big jerk Gray Davis is in power, you've got an ungodly piece of sleaze running the nation's largest state. He'll campaig for anybody but Bush in 2004. Getting a GOP'er in there would help make the state winnable for GW Bush in '04.

Also, the longer Gray is in, the worse things he'll get up to (they're busy trying to legalise all but gay marriage).

What's more, I believe in God, and I believe that California suffers every day, because a man like Gray Davis (who holds no regard for God) is in power. Have a look at Florida, where Jeb Bush is enjoying comfortable popularity and the state is prospering far more than many other states. Imagine if we could have a Jeb-like gov in CA - someone who could try to lead the state back to the right track. CA has gone completely over the rails in its crazy politics.

[bonesmccoy]

I don't think I understand who "Blum" is.

A company named JMB Realty owns a big chunk of the State of Hawaii.

I'm trying to figure out if it's related to the Chocolate Mountain story.

[OldFriend]

Heard Riordan on TV last nite...........he said he would support Arnold.................some dems are saying it's a republican plot.......but dems are rushing to put their name on the ballot....and even that witch Loretta Sanchez refused to say that Davis was a good governor...

[bonesmccoy]

seriously, i don't think the state needs an actor in the gov's chair. We need a business guy to balance budgets and make some tough calls.

[Carry_Okie]

"Blum" is DiFi's husband.
He is a real estate investor worth about $50 million.
It's quite possible he is a principal in JMB.

[bonesmccoy]

What's his name?

Blum or Feinstein?

I want to do some digging

[bonesmccoy]

never mind... found it via google.com

Dianne Feinstein received a B.A. in History from Stanford University in 1955 where she served as Student Body Vice President from 1954 to 1955. She was born on June 22, 1933, the daughter of a respected surgeon and professor of the University of California at San Francisco Medical School. She is married to Richard C. Blum, Chairman of Blum Capital Partners Inc., Chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation and Honorary Consul General of Nepal. Her daughter, Katherine, is a Deputy City Attorney in San Francisco. She has one granddaughter, Eileen, and three stepdaughters, Annette, Heidi and Eileen.

[clamper1797]

Actually ... I agree ... it was just fun to call Red Davis a clown

[bonesmccoy]

ha ha... lol

[Carry_Okie]

Catellus Development

[BlackElk]

If the best the California GOP can do is nominate the gun-grabbing, tax-raising, baby-scraping, gay adoption enthusiast "Terminator" for governor or Senate, the only things terminated will be California and its GOP.

"Ohhhh, AHHHHHNOLD, you have such big muscles and you help me not to think! We just HATE to think down at the polo club! Whenever we try to think, our Demonratic friends are sooooooo disappointed in us. They want us to be scintillating visionaries just like them. Oh, AHHHHHHHNOLD, do you think we can be scintillating visionaries? Mumsy says she will write you a big check and so will all her friends!"

[NormsRevenge]

I see Boxer and DiFi's financial papers came out. Not as rich as some of us here, eh ;-?

Blum and Difi are worth a lot more than 50 million, tho, I think, or were. Unless , they too, have been the victims of a sagging economy. uBt ,I doubt that!

Blum has been China dealing for years, I believe. I'll see what I can dig up to confirm.

[BlackElk]

Pete Wilson??????? That Pete Wilson??????? You must be joking.

[Carry_Okie]

Blum is wealthier than the numbers state in terms of what he controls via corporate investing.

[BlackElk]

If the Dems are in bad shape, they are not in the utterly obliterated condition in which that idiot Wilson left the California GOP and California.

[NormsRevenge]

If the best the California GOP can do is nominate the gun-grabbing, tax-raising, baby-scraping, gay adoption enthusiast "Terminator" for governor or Senate, the only things terminated will be California and its GOP.

Thanks! I'd like to adopt ya, but I probably couldn;t claim ya as a dependent anyway. ;-)

The CAGOP leadership is in need of major overhaul and / or outright replacement.. Or The Reagan conservatives must get busy and build a new party.. but to try to reform the party as is,, uugghhh. Good luck.

You don't need huge warchests to win, just point and click, type and post, I like the Conservative Internet Party .. or eCon for short. :-)

This grassroots Recall thing is kickin' in... AfterBurners ON.. ! Wooo Hooo!!!

Ain't riding a wild pony fun? LOL

[NormsRevenge]

That's true, too. Thanks!

I'm too lazy right now to go searching for stuff anyway. ;-)

He has a few business interests, for sure. I bet his passport has some interesting stamps in it.

[OldFriend]

Davis, like slick willie will never resign........no matter the harm it does to his state, his party.....