Behind the Scenes In Democrat War Rooms

All right, folks. As you know, it's Open Line Friday, which means that you get to go beyond the boundaries I normally set Monday through Thursday. Those boundaries are generally defined as the things that I am interested in and like - and if there are things out there that we haven't discussed during the week that you want to bring up today, feel free to do it. That's what Open Line Friday is. The situation in California continues to effervesce, and... You see the picture now? You know, I - (laughing) - can you imagine all the Democrats looking at that? You know, I've been thinking about all the various war rooms in California. But before I get to the war rooms, there's so much going on in California that's weird. Try this.

The state Supreme Court in California yesterday declined to intervene in California's recall election that clears the way for the October 7th vote on whether or not to remove Governor Gray-Out Davis. This is a first in California: a court that does not want to be involved. I mean, where are these courts? We need more courts like this. Courts that will stay out of this stuff. And, you know, folks, I hate to throw a cold shower on this, but what do you think the odds this election's even going to happen really are? I mean if it gets down to that - and it is already there - Gray Davis is finished. Gray Davis is doomed. It's over. Now, he doesn't know it yet; he won't admit it yet, but the day will come when he knows it. The day will come when he admits it. And remember way back when Bob Torricelli got that phone call from Bill Clinton:

Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling! [Clinton impression] "Hello? Hey, hey, hey, Bob! It's your old buddy, Bill, here. What you doing, pal? Yeah, look, I don't care about that. I don't care how hard you're fighting - doesn't matter, it's over. I've got a proposition for you, pal. It's real simple. We're going to have a piece of paper here for you real soon. There's going to be a line in there for you to sign that says you're getting out of this. Bob, you've done your best, and I know you've done your best, but the party comes first, Bob. Except when it comes to me, of course, the party comes first - and you're out, Bob. Now, you can either sign this piece of paper here or you can sign that thing over there that will clear the way for your body at the morgue. I mean, Bob, you know how things go. I'm sorry to have to break it to you this way, but..."

Well, Gray Davis is going to get one of those calls. I don't know who's going to make the call. It'll probably be Clinton. There's a whole bunch of war rooms out there. But, I mean, if that happens, if Gray Davis sizes it all up, all he's got to do is resign, and this elevates Cruz Bustamante to the governorship (he's lieutenant governor), and it's over. It's over. And once again, the people's effort would be thwarted. The odds of that I think are pretty good. But let's go on about our business today as though the odds of that are not pretty good, because it's more fun the other way. I want you to try to imagine the behind-the-scenes going on in California right now on the Democratic side. The Democrats had everything invested in the state Supreme Court delaying this election.

They were hoping and praying that the state Supreme Court would delay this until March to give them more time to deal with this, but now they've got hours, my friends, to come up with a strategy. They have hours. I mean this is no fooling. You know how they had the Clinton war room, that TV documentary? Well, there's one in the making going on right now. We are not privy to it, but I hope there are cameras in all these various war rooms, because I want to see it. They have the real story. We're not seeing it yet, but the real story is going on behind the scenes now - all the power players, all the threats, all the schemes, all the deals that are being jockeyed and offered and tossed back and forth in order to save power in California.

You know, we're joking about this, but when it comes to the White House and the 2004 election, this is no joke to the Democrats. All they care about is their power back. They don't care about what they've done to California. They would continue to run it into the ground if it meant holding onto their power. So all of these disparate factions with all their different war rooms now are in heavy sweat mode. And now that their courts have blessed this early October vote, the Democrats have until Saturday midnight Pacific Time to come up with a strategery here to figure out what they're going to do - and I've been having all kinds of fun figuring out just what must be going on behind the scenes.

I mean really going on, not - I don't mean spoofing this, not fun, but I mean really, r-e-a-l-l-y, what is really going on out there, be it about Arnold or not. Here are the various war rooms that we're talking about. First we got the Davis War Room. Then we've got the Clinton War Room. (I know all these are up and running.) We have the Willie Brown War Room, mayor of San Francisco. (He's not going to sit idly by and just let this happen.) We have the Jerry Brown War Room. There's no question he's involved in this. The Leon Panetta...well, I doubt that Leon would be involved in a war room. He probably has a home office: the Leon Panetta Home Office.

And we've got to throw Barbara Boxer in this. But she doesn't believe in war, so she's got a peace room. So Barbara Boxer is working in her Peace Room. She doesn't believe in war. Now, in the Davis War Room, here are the problems. They can't list his achievements, because there aren't any, and yet he must hold off other Democrats. He can't spend all of his time and money smearing Arnold - or can he? Is that what he thinks he has to do? These are the things he's thinking about. Can he run against the right-wing extremists when there are no alleged right-wing extremists running? These are all the things he's thinking about. You get to the Clinton War Room. It is well known and Bill and Hillary - well, I say "well known." It's been said by Bill and Hillary that they "strongly support" Davis.

But Bill and Hillary don't care about Davis. Bill and Hillary care about California remaining in the column that has a (D) in front of it. So do they stick with Davis and risk losing California? Remember, the Clintons already lost the House and the Senate for the Democratic Party. They alone... I don't care. You Democrats may want to fight with me about this, feel free to do so. Come on in, the water is warm. But before Bill Clinton took office, the House and the Senate were under Democrat control, and Bill Clinton - after eight years in power lost both with no sign of getting them back any time soon. So the Clintons have lost already the House and the Senate.

So what do they do? Stick with Davis, or do they do a 180 and try to muscle Feinstein back in to bail them out? And don't rule that out. I mean if Torricelli can get a phone call, and if Andrew Cuomo can get a phone call, any Democrat can get a phone call from Bill Clinton. [Clinton impression] "Hello, Di Fi? We got some stuff on your husband here I was just looking at - foreign investments and stuff - and I'd hate for that to become public. But, you know, sometimes I can't control all this." And there's Larry Flynt. Oh, yeah: the Larry Flynt War Room. May I throw something else out at you my dear friends? Yes, because it's my microphone and my program.

Why is Larry Flynt even if this mix? Granted he's a kook and an oddball and a weirdo in this. But why? If you stop, here's a "smut peddler who cares." We're all laughing about it. Why is Larry Flynt even if this mix? I don't care whether it's serious or not. Larry Flynt! No, it's not because he's a successful businessman. Everybody in New York wants to get in on the act. Flynt is involved because Clinton legitimized him. Bill Clinton legitimized Larry Flynt as a Clinton defender during impeachment. So that's what legitimizes Flynt. What's the difference in Flynt and Clinton, when you , really stop and think about it? Just really stop and think about it.

Okay, what's going on with Barbara Boxer Peace Room? We've been through the Davis War Room, the Clinton War Room, and the Barbara Boxer Peace Room. She's probably sitting there saying, "All right. If Dianne Feinstein says 'No' to the Clintons," she probably thinks - Boxer thinks - that she's the second-best hope for the Democrats, and she'll do anything Bill and Hillary tell her to do. So she's out there. You know, Willie Brown War Room. Willie is in trouble because he knows no matter what they do out there, they're probably doomed, unless he convinced Davis to resign, and that's probably going to be...

What, you disagree with this? Di Fi is what? Yeah, Di Fi is the only one who is, that's right. But if they can't convince her to go, then Di Fi is the only one polling better than Arnold. But if they can't convince her to go then they've got to go to somebody else that's not already in, or they convince Davis to resign, and, you know, Willie Brown, shrewd politician, knows how weak Davis is. He knows how weak Davis is. He knows how weak the party will be betting on Davis. Davis is finished as far as Willie Brown is concerned. And then the Jerry Brown War Room and the Panetta Home Office.

The same things going on in both of these places. Both Panetta and Brown are saying, "All right, do I call them or do they call me? Who would I call? Davis, Clinton, Clinton, Brown? Who do I call?" You know, they're sitting around waiting for it to come to them. Jerry is openly begging Di Fi to do this. But, you know, it all revolves around keeping that (D) on the state. Now, the title of this giant documentary that's being produced before our...well, not before our eyes. This giant war room documentary I just discussed that's going on out there, we're already going to title this, "Sacked in Sacramento." (Laughing.) "Sacked in Sacramento: the Inside Story on What Really Happened Those Last Few Hours Before the Davis Recall Vote."

Now, there are some of you, some of you who are suggesting to me that the California recall has now been certified, and as such, Governor Davis cannot resign and hand the office to Lieutenant Governor Bustamante. Well, I know. That's according to the law. What does the law matter in American politics anymore? I mean, in New Jersey, they couldn't do what they did, right? The law said they couldn't get rid of The Torch and they couldn't put somebody else on the ballot without another election, and they did it, right?

And I know you're saying, "Well, but there were Democrats in that New Jersey court. More Republicans in the California court." I understand all that. But look, I know the law says that the recall is certified so that can't be now. He can't resign and all that. But this is the Democratic Party we are dealing with, ladies and gentlemen, and, not only that, it's the California Democratic Party with Bill and Hillary Clinton involved. I know what the law is, but I think you'll understand when I say I'm not so comforted by that. The odds are it will all stand, but take your own money and your own risk if you want to make a bet on it.

But, I mean, if that happens, if Gray Davis sizes it all up, all he's got to do is resign, and this elevates Cruz Bustamante to the governorship (he's lieutenant governor), and it's over. It's over. And once again, the people's effort would be thwarted.

Rush is wrong on this. The lt. gov. is elected separately in this state and Bustamante would be only a caretaker gov. until the recall. If the recall shoves out Davis and B. gets the most votes, then and only then, can he move into the governor's job.

Yes its getting a bit irritating that at this late stage folks think Bustamente will be Guvnor if greyout resigns.

Bustamente gets to be guvnor until October 7, then ....its only AFTER greyout gets less than 50% of question one and the result of question two on the balot is determined.

Bustamente goes back to Lt Gunvor and the new guvnor takes over.

What about the possibility that Davis could resign leaving Bustamonte as interim but he effectively uses the "bully pulpit" of his new position to convince voters thatin essence, recall has already taken place? I'm afraid that the mountain of disdain for Davis exceeds any positive appeal for Arnie or any other Republican.

In this senario, the recall is consumated and Bustamonte remains as governor. Sad but plausible. Perhaps internal polling data keeps him from trying this approach. One can only hope.

Everyone appears to be amazingly confused on this one issue. I've seen about a million posts on this question, and despite this most people don't seem to understand what's going on.

If Davis resigns, Bustamente becomes Governor. I think the idea behind these theories is that he can then win the recall because he's not as loathed as Davis. He's also already on the replacement ballot, so he has two bites at the apple if Davis resigns.

However, Davis doesn't like Bustamente, and Davis is not a quitter. I don't think Davis is inclined to resign to help his party, because he wants to keep every precious second where he has the Governor's perks, since after that he won't have a one.

Since Davis' career is effectively over, I really don't see him susceptable to any pressure put on him to resign. They can do all the blackmail they want, and he will still stick around.

If people are as confused as they seem to be, turnout on the recall may be depressed, and this might help Republicans because the Democrats will get complacent. So even Davis resigning might not help that much.

D

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