Simon- Sec. of State has validated 900k+ Signatures, Recall a go (Dump Davis)

Hugh Hewitt Show ^ | 7/22/3

[socal_parrot]

Bill Simon just announced on the Hugh Hewitt show that the Secretary of State's office have contacted his people and told them that over 900,000 signatures have been validated. This would mean that if the Sec. of State announces the certification tomorrow, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante would have 15 days to announce the special election which would be held 60-80 days after that. Candidates could have as little a 24 hours to get their paperwork in once the election date is set.

Here we go.

[RonDog]

"...Simon has been readying a campaign team and talking to donors.
He discussed his potential candidacy on talk radio Tuesday and planned a political speech Thursday..."

Ruh roh.

It looks like I better post my "tough love/Team Simon intervention" thread TONIGHT...

[TheAngryClam]

It was Simon's conservatism, not competence or lack thereof.

The state GOP primary is dominated by conservatives, and tends to nominate them.

[ElkGroveDan]

I'm so glad I didn't take my "Dump Davis" bumper sticker off of my car.

I still have about 50-60 of them. I'm thinking of auctioning them on e-bay.

[ElkGroveDan]

Simon was doublecrossed by Gerald Parsky and his Country Clubbers, undermined by Karl Rove, demonized by the liberal press, and accused of corruption in a ridiculous lawsuit kept alive by a corrupt judge. Yet he still came close to beating Davis. He would have beat him if the press had been remotely honest or if Parsky had followed through on his pledge to be a good fundraiser for the party.

Thank you Cicero. If you (Cicero only) want a fresh Dump Davis sticker please freepmail me your mailing address.

[ElkGroveDan]

Of course, the GOP drones ala Simon, Issa will all be running, giving perhaps the inside lane to a Dem.

Agreed. We need to recruit Bill Clinton to register as a Republican and run because he could WIN here. All that matters is that a person who calls themself a Republican wins.

[Dr. Frank fan]

It was Simon's conservatism, not competence or lack thereof.

And equally, it was his conservatism, not competence or lack thereof, which lost him the general election. You can complain about that if you want, but the "remedy" most people suggest (don't nominate conservatives! just nominate Riordan types!) seems a little self-defeating.

[ElkGroveDan]

Dr. Frank gets a free DUMP DAVIS sticker too. Freepmail me your mailing addy and I'll send you one (Dr. Frank only)

[SierraWasp]

I just saw "MEATHEAD" on my local broadcast TV channel saying ever so somberly: "This whole recall effort is totally misguided and will be very divisive for the people of CA."

Go slam yer head in the refrigerator door, MEATHEAD!!!

Tomorrow's the deadline and will be a great day for CA!!!

Thanks for the "GOOD NEWS PING," Ernesto! You sure do keep us informed. Thanks again from the Waspman!!!

[CyberAnt]

I DID NOT SAY 11%

I said - 11 pt - that's eleven points ahead of Davis. If other counties did better - that's great!

[CPT Clay]

I see alot of spoiled dem ballots.... You know the ones bussed in will vote no(not to recall) and then will vote for someone on the down ballot. Viola! a spoiled ballot!

[kellynla]

Excellent! Between this news and the killing of the Hussein brothers this is one fabulous day!

[RonDog]

Here is an UPDATE from Reuters:

Calif. Validates Half of Needed Recall Signatures
Tue July 22, 2003 08:51 PM ET

By Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California officials validated by Tuesday nearly half the signatures needed to force the first recall vote against a governor in the state's history and were expected to certify the ballot within a day or two.

As a recall vote against Democratic Gov. Gray Davis appeared all but certain, speculation intensified as to whether and when Austrian-born actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, would declare his candidacy.

"I'm trying to encourage him to run," California Republican Congresswoman Mary Bono, who in 1998 filled the seat held by her late husband entertainer Sonny Bono, told Reuters.

"In my mind we need to fix this and do what is best for the state of California and that is getting behind a candidate who can win first of all and who can turn the state around," she said. "The only person I see on the horizon with that ability is Arnold Schwarzenegger."

By Tuesday afternoon, the secretary of state's office had verified 398,558 signatures submitted to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, who is under fire for his handling of the state's record budget deficit.

The office said it had received a total of 990,393 signatures, more than the 897,158 needed to put the issue onto the ballot as soon as September. Election officials said as early as Wednesday they could certify the first such vote against a governor after 31 failed 20th century attempts.

Leading Democrats have said they will not challenge Davis, a long-time veteran of state politics who is known for a relatively bland manner.

The line up of candidates is expected to take shape very quickly after the official certification of a recall vote which is in effect a popular vote of confidence in the governor. Republican U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa, who has personally bankrolled much of the recall effort, has already declared himself a candidate.

Other Republicans -- including former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan -- appear to be waiting first for word from Schwarzenegger, who is widely expected to run. Analysts say that despite no experience in office, the actor has the name recognition and wealth to mount a quick campaign.

One veteran of both Hollywood and politics, former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson, also a Republican, said Schwarzenegger should expect a tough campaign amid high expectations.

"That's a big, big build up that he is getting right now, that he has from his own career, that they're going to be chipping away at from day one," Thompson, who recently joined the cast of the television drama Law & Order, told Reuters.

"Gray Davis will have unlimited amounts of money to spend on tearing Arnold down."

State election officials say they want to certify 10 percent more signatures than the 897,156 set down in law to assure there are no errors in the sampling technique used to validate the signatures. Counties across the state are expected to complete reporting the numbers from the Republican-backed petitions by the end of Wednesday.

[Torie]

Was it Simon's incompetence that made him such an overwhelming winner in the state GOP primary,

Actually his incompetence was not in the klieg lights then, and thus I grant you it was less of a factor in his securing the nomination then Davis' money in trashing Riordan and Riordan's incompentence, and Jones' lack of money (a lack due in part due to Bush animus that Jones supported McCain).

One thing IS clear. Simon didn't win the nomination based on his competence, and his "competence" so impressed me in the general, that I voted for Davis. Simon is a worthless, disingenuous, unlikeable, difficult, empty suited trimmer that is looking for something to do with his otherwise meaningless life. I can't stand to listen to his airy generalities, nor watch his mental gears clank and squeak due to their rustiness from disuse, and quality that even when originally produced was pedestrian (in other words, the guy isn't very bright, nor intellectual curious or disciplined).

Other than the above, I have no opinion about Simon.

[RonDog]

...Simon is a worthless, disingenuous, unlikeable, difficult, empty suited trimmer that is looking for something to do with his otherwise meaningless life. I can't stand to listen to his airy generalities, nor watch his mental gears clank and squeak due to their rustiness from disuse, and quality that even when originally produced was pedestrian (in other words, the guy isn't very bright, nor intellectual curious or disciplined).

Other than the above, I have no opinion about Simon.

LOL!

Don't hold back, Torie!

Tell us what you REALLY think.

[SierraWasp]

"But who knows."

You sure don't! Sal Russo's firm helped get Ronald Reagan elected, Boris Yeltsin elected, and me elected!

The stupid contributors kept jerkin the whole Simon campaign rug right out from under Sal and Bill, along with the independent expenditure committees that the campaign legally has ZERO CONTROL over by ELECTION LAW! They made all the stupid mistakes!!!

I've held my tongue on your immature bawling down there until you opened yourself wide open with you're immature "But who knows," whine. So now, grow up and shut up!!! (you're ruining a great day in history)

[NormsRevenge]

I could say some nasty words to you about now, but I don't want to get banned.

Where the hell do you get off layiong all that tripe on someone you have never met personally? I'll leave it at that.

[CPT Clay]

Sweet!!!
confirmation is sweet!

[absalom01]

"It was Simon's conservatism, not competence or lack thereof. "

Not to compound the infighting, but I have to respectfully disagree, counselor. I'm cool to Simon this time around myself, but a careful review of the general election campaign leads me to exactly the opposite conclusion.

Simon lost, I think, due to a stunningly bad campaign, part of which was the lack of nerve he exhibited by sticking with a clear loser of a campaign manager, and flinching when he should have written himself a $10M check in the last couple of weeks as a loan to the campaign. There was more, but most of the worst stems from one of these two fundamental mistakes.

Now, there's a serious question: who is the conservative candidate most likely able to beat Davis and Arnold? Some are throwing their weight behind Issa, since he has displayed a good measure of moxie by declaring early, and putting his money where his mouth is. Some are concerned that he can't buy sufficient media time to overcome his obscurity. I don't, myself, know what to think at this point, except that if the conservative movement blows this one, we'll deserve what we get.

[TheAngryClam]

No, I was saying that's why he won the primary, where conservatism is a big plus.

[Cousin Eddie]

What???

11 pt (or eleven points ahead) is normally meant to mean that candidate A beat candidate B by 11%. As I said in my first post, if a republican only wins BY 11% in San Diego, then he's toast.

(I DID NOT say that if a repuvlican only wins 11%...)