Posted on 07/29/2003 10:30:39 AM PDT by Impeach98
By Audie Bock
Gray Davis must be recalled from office and Democrats must take action to rebuild a better California.
For five years the people of California have been suffering through the failures of a callous governor whose only interest is the amassing of his own campaign millions. He is so self-absorbed with his own political ambitions that he has devoted sparse attention to providing positive leadership for our state.
Gray Davis has squandered the energy future of our state, pandered to the interests of big oil and his big water cronies, and while posing as the “Education Governor,” has pushed our schools and our children’s health over the cliff as an excuse for budget balancing.
In spite of his abysmal record, he is calling upon Democrats to stand behind him as he portrays the Recall effort as a right-wing Republican plot. This is far from the truth. Recent statewide non-partisan polls show him with the lowest approval rating of any governor in California’s history. His 21% approval rating is not a reflection of just the opinions of Republicans, but of voters of every stripe. Democrats constantly bemoan the fact that they have no one to vote for when the Recall comes upon us, because Gray Davis thinks he can keep his seat by strong-arming all other Democrats to support him.
Gray Davis’s viciousness toward those who cross him is legend. Every qualified Democrat who is a current office holder has backed down in the face of his threats. But the Democratic Party cannot afford to be complacent in this crisis of confidence. Let there be no doubt about it, Gray Davis is going to be recalled, and Democrats must have an alternative to provide leadership to restore the hopes and dreams of Californians.
When famed teacher and women’s rights activist Helen Keller was asked what might be a worse fate than being blind, her reply was “losing one’s vision.” Gray Davis has proved to us that he never had any vision to lose. I served in the State Assembly during Gray Davis’s first term, when he contemptuously asserted that the purpose of the Legislature was to “implement his vision.” His attacks on health care and education, in favor of prisons and sweetheart deals for corporate contributors, go back to those beginnings. He sent his henchman to try to intimidate every Democrat who wanted to preserve nursing home care for a few hundred refugees during the first-year budget negotiations, when the state had a $12 billion surplus. He sent them to bully us into voting profligate millions for his new prison as well. In both cases, I was not swayed.
Intimidation is not the mark of a true leader, and as Governor I will use my experience as a State Legislator, professor and community leader to guide California to a better future than the one she now faces.
I am the ONLY candidate – of any party – with state level experience to solve the problems facing our state.
Now is the time to select a person who is experienced, imaginative, and forward-looking to lead California into a better and brighter future. It’s time to select a person who has respect for her colleagues and the desire to work with them. It is time to put Gray Davis behind us and put a leader committed to leading – not intimidating – in the Governor’s seat. I humbly ask you to vote for me, the only Democrat, Audie Bock, on the Recall ballot this fall.
These people put Gray Davis' interests ahead of this state. That is far worse than the accusations Demoncrats made against Bush who fought for the nation's interest.
Go Audie Go - kick their @sses and let the foodfight begin!
But, I don't think we'll ever see it - I think Mike Huffington's $3,500 initial filing stunt was a very public warning shot to Arianna.
"Hey you witch (with a "b") - you run and I'll humiliate you more than you ever did to me."
This is a brilliant political strategy for the Democrats.
In 2004, they could do a recall on the Republican who replaces Davis. No one with a brain could believe that even a significant portion the terrible situation in California is the fault of Gray Davis. It is the result of well over a quarter century of over taxing and over spending. Democrats need for a single out of control Democratic governor to take the blame for them.
As things get even worse in 2004, as they certainly will, the Democrats can blame the worsening situation on new the Republican Governor ... then recall him. After all if the current situation is the fault of Gray Davis, when the situation worsens it will be his Republican successor's fault.
In the last election the Democrats won every state wide office. If they can just blame this situation on Davis and the worsening situation yet to come on his Republican successor, the Democrats can win an overwhelming California victory in 2004.
California is going down the tubes. And Republicans can't wait to take the blame for it. The Democrats should time it so they come back into power just as things start to improve again. They can pull a Bill Clinton and come back into power just as things start to come back up. If that Democrat can his or her pants or panties on... they can fix it so Democrats have a 12 to 20 year reign of power.
California is the Titanic after it hit the iceberg but before it sunk. Republicans are going to fight over who gets to be Captain as the ship goes down.
Bock must be one of the few reasoning Democrats left. Or he plans to run for governor.
I hear Davis is gonna sign legislation to allow illegals to get driver's licenses in order to get their (illegal) votes.
Supposedly, this will spoil any chance of his entering the race. I can't figure out how : how many votes did the Rapist in Chief get in CA?
At any rate, inexperienced or not, Arnold can't be any less qualified to run than Davis. His popularity MIGHT even enable him to influence the rabidly leftist legislature. Let's face it : even with Davis gone, the legislature will still be there mucking things up. Also, he apparently has a very good head for business.
Then again, if he decides not to run, I hope he'll stump for the Republican candidate that DOES run. Like McClintock, or even Riordan.
Now, the Dope smoking at the End of Pumping Iron....
As for the gay movie rumor....never heard that one, but it ought to lock the gay vote right? He was a body building champion before he got into acting. As such, he already had a ready market. Therefore, I take that rumor with a box of salt. The only movie I saw from his days as a struggling actor was Good Guys Wear White Hats. It was a spoof and VERY funny...except that Arnie's accent was too thick to understand most of his dialogue.
If any of this stuff is true, the Democrat party would be trying to recruit him. They aren't.
My favorite part about what she says. The whole stinking lot of them SUCKS EGGS!
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