Bush resists being drawn into California recall campaign

Sac Bee ^ | 7/30/03 | AP - Washington

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush refused to take sides Wednesday in the recall election of California Gov. Gray Davis and said the decision is for Californians to make.

"I view it as an interested political observer would view it. We don't have recalls in Texas, thankfully," Bush, the former Texas governor, said at a White House Rose Garden news conference.

[NormsRevenge]

Smart move.. Now tell Parsky to step aside as well.

[NormsRevenge]

Ping

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

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[nonliberal]

For once, I agree with Bush. Californians elected him then they are STUCK with him.

This recall also takes away a weapon for the Pubbies. Bush could just point to California in the debates and say "This is what happens when you put the left in charge."

Bingo! Landslide.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I saw that this morning. President Bush handled it very well.

[jagrmeister]

The Bush White House is resting on its political laurels. Once you accept the liberal media's praise (ie: 2002 election- "political genius), you end up marching to their tune. The liberal media would malign Bush and Rove for getting involved in the CA recall - but at very least, they should be hailing it as an act of political bravery and a teriffic example of our democratic process. Instead we get "I'm glad we didn't have a recall in TX". Rove should work behind the scenes and separate the wheat from the chaff. We need 1 (read: ONE) candidate; any more, and despite the work of thousands of people, Democrats will win the recall. They WILL run a candidate- already Bock is running, though they may replace her with someone else as the election draws near. The DNC is far better organizaed than the RNC- it's already come out here, maligned the recall effort, is funding Davis's effort to maintain the governorship. It's just annoying seeing the RNC and White House in such disarray and incomptence. The recall of a Democrat governor for gross mismangement would have ripples throughout the nation and redound to the advantage of the GOP.

[livius]

I thought so, too. In fact, the entire press conference was an exercise in dexterity!

[heleny]

I'm glad the President is staying out of this election. It would look bad for him to support one candidate when multiple Republicans will be running, and it would be difficult for him to support the recall without endorsing some candidates.

My question: if Bill Simon runs, will he reuse Bush's and Giuliani's endorsements from 2002?

[ambrose]

Look for the Bush White House to sabotage the recall movement. They want to be able to blame the Kalifornia basket case economy on the Rats.

[BonnieJ]

If he gets involved, he has to back a candidate. With so many running that would be difficult. And last time he tried that in Calif. it didn't work out too well. He's better off staying out of the fray, letting them work it out themselves. Too bad they can't choose a single candidate and strengthen that person. They are at a disadvantage as it is with so many more registered as Dems there. But I sure hope they can pull it off! Good Luck California Freepers!!

[CWOJackson]

Perhaps he simply thinks the President has no business becoming involved in a state's affairs...and that would be right.

[jagrmeister]

I could debate your myopic and dogmatic point of view but I doubt you would listen long enough to be educated on the realities of politics. Needless to say, state and national politics and policy are intertwined.

[CWOJackson]

Needless to say the President of the United States has no business getting involved in the election of a state governor. The only possible exception I could see for this is if the President is a registered voter from that state, then they should have an opinion like any other voter.

[jagrmeister]

>If he gets involved, he has to back a candidate

Actually he doesn't. First, it shouldn't be him. I'd prefer Rove or one of his lieutants. They should convene a meeting of top Republicans and agree upon an early "test of strength" that would substitute for a primary. It could be a statistically significant straw poll. Once the front-runner emerges, the candidates and party agree to back him. This is the only way we can win. The DNC has already cleared the Democratic field to delegitimize the recall (that is no small undertaking)- but it was necessary so they did it. That's political hardball. Too bad, the RNC and WH aren't as politically sophisticated. We are going to need more than luck.

[oceanview]

absolutely right. even with Bush steering clear of this, this recall will hurt Bush. The Dems and the Clintons are going to go out there and talk about the bad economy as teh cause of CAs problems, it will get alot of media attention, and that issue is the Bush achilles heel. This recall just provides a forum for the Dems and the media to bash away. At the end of the day, it won't matter who is the CA governor, its a hard left state. Why allow the CA recall to knock another couple points off Bush's approval rating?

[gcruse]

The recall of a Democrat governor for gross mismangement would have ripples throughout the nation and redound to the advantage of the GOP.

Which will last until the GOP governor does what has to be done to resurrect the state's finances.  At that point, Joe Surfboard will become extremely agitated against republicans.  This will peak, thanks to dem rabble rousing, on election day, 2004.  California will then go right back to the dems--for the foreseeable future, and the residual effect of the recall will be long forgotten elsewhere.

[jagrmeister]

I doubt it. People here assume that the state has to go through some pain before things get better. The new governor probably has one year to improve things, in time for the 2005 budget discussions. By then, the economy will almost assuredly have picked up.

[nonliberal]

I think we are the only conservatives opposed to this recall. For the Republicans, no good can come of this.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

They want to be able to blame the Kalifornia basket case economy on the Rats.

If they do, than Rove is dumber than I have been suspecting...you see. My state's economy is bring down the overall numbers of the United States of America.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

I think we are the only conservatives opposed to this recall.

For once we agree, sure is a blessing you don't actually live in my state to vote.