[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.

[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

[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]

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.

[DoughtyOne]

It's a done deal. I don't think anything could stop this steam-roller, and if anything it's picking up steam.

As you stated, the media is beginning to talk about this. It's becoming obvious it's going to happen.

What this portends is more people being inspired to sign on. This is California history in the making and it's something even the leftist media is going to be covering in detail.

Now, take your motion sickness medication, fasten your seatbelts and watch the left spin like they've never spinned before.

There's a lot riding on this. If the wrong Republican candidate should get in, the lefties are in for a bit of a walk of shame. For if he can get this state back on it's feet, the Democrats are going to be eating a feast of crow over spilt milk for the next ten years or so.

[DoughtyOne]

This effort has become so successful, I sure wish we could expand it to recall every member of the California Legislature. It's time to start over from the bottom up!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

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.

That's it right here. How dare the people think for themselves?

[CyberAnt]

Don't worry ... the democrats have to say this is democracy out of control - BECAUSE THEY AREN'T CONTROLLING IT.

Where were they when Bill Clinton was selling secrets to the Chinese - who can now hit us with nuclear bombs - I didn't see them shouting about democracy then. Where were they screaming about democracy being out of control when Bill Clinton was lying and telling other people to lie about his evil deeds. Where were they screeming about democracy when a KNOWN RAPIST was sitting in the White House.

This is just another attempt to try to make the republicans look evil. It won't work!!

This is about ACCOUNTABILITY - and we know how the democrats hate being made accountable for their actions - and their poster boy - x42 - is a prime example.

Davis has now agreed for the state govt to charge me 3 times the amount to register my car in order to try to make up his giant $38 billion deficit Davis got us into. How crass and arrogant is that!! The dems elected this bozo and they're stuck with him. We don't want him.

The reason dems are in such a snit is they realize the public is fed up with their hyjinks - and WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET RID OF THEM - they are terrified this will boomarang right into their hold over this country and cause other states and other cities to rise up against those politicians who are only doing America harm.

The sad part is ... there are some great democrats out there who have also been deceived by their own party, to go along with this Bush-bashing. They would have looked a lot better if they had agreed with the President and joined him in fixing the country. But ... NO their only goal is to destroy Bush - and if the country goes down the tube in the meantime - oh well. We're tired of the OH WELL attitude!!!

[Duramaximus]

"Like many of the others, Bustamante suggested in his statement that the recall is somehow un-democratic."

Hey Cruz... name one thing you have done in the last several years that is un-democratic, or un-holy.

[John Jorsett]

They must be strapping on ice skates in hell if Dan Weintraub has nice things to say about recalling a Democrat.

[Southack]

"Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante has added his name to the list of top Democrats who “do not intend” to run for governor when the recall election qualifies for the ballot. The Democrats, led by the labor movement’s most influential players, are pursuing a high-risk strategy of offering the voters Gray Davis or nobody from the Democratic side."

Nonsense. Bustamante is "standing down" to make way for either Bill Clinton, Al Gore, or some other major Democratic Party big-wig to move to California, pay the $3,500 to get onto the recall ballot, and then "energize" the entire Democratic Party for 2004 by winning California's governship in a 2003 landslide, in my opinion.

Why else would Donna Brazille, James Carville, and every other major *national* Democratic Party figure (e.g. Terry McAulliffe) be completely silent about this recall effort? Hasn't anyone noticed that the BIG-SHOT Dems aren't critizing the recall?! Like they would be silent about something this big for *our* benefit?!

Gee, they get to watch Republicans spend their money to oust the most unpopular Democrat in California's entire history, only to be replaced by a major *national* figure in Democratic Party politics.

You do the math...

[afraidfortherepublic]

As a 3rd generation Californian and thirty year ex-patriot,I wish you all the best in the recall effort. Milwaukee County, another Dem stronghold, just recalled about 5 County Supervisors (all Dims) over a pension scandal.

Be careful what you wish for, however. Some of the "reformers" who ran against the incumbents turned around and voted down the new County Executive's severely tightened budget. IOW, they became more of the same old tax and spend crowd that the voters had just thrown out.