Feinstein Won't Bid for Calif. Gov. Job

The Associated Press ^ | 6/22/03

[LdSentinal]

SAN FRANCISCO - Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., eliminated herself Saturday as a possible replacement for Gov. Gray Davis, who is facing a recall drive rapidly gaining momentum.

"I am not a candidate," said Feinstein, who appeared with Davis at ceremonies to open a rail extension to San Francisco International Airport.

Feinstein, the Democratic nominee for governor in 1990, had been considered the strongest potential Democratic candidate. But party officials have long been urging prominent Democrats to stay off the ballot, insisting the governor should be allowed to stave off the recall without facing challengers from his own party.

Other high-level California Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Attorney General Bill Lockyer, had already said they had no intention of running.

Recall supporters claim to have gathered about 800,000 signatures in favor forcing an election to recall Davis, who won a second term in November.

Recall proponents have until Sept. 2 to collect nearly 900,000 signatures. They want to submit the needed signatures next month, which would force a special election this fall.

Potential Republican candidates include Rep. Darrell Issa , who is largely bankrolling the recall effort; Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in last year's election, and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Feinstein said Davis, whose approval numbers have plummeted as the state struggles with a huge budget deficit, was re-elected as governor "just six months ago," and should not have to mount a new campaign to keep his job.

"The recall is really there for gross moral turpitude, corruption, or some extraneous terrible circumstance in which you have to remove somebody from office," Feinstein said. "Now the state's having a rough time. So is every other state in the union right now."

Feinstein, a former mayor of San Francisco, was first elected to the Senate in 1992. Her current term expires in 2006.

[LdSentinal]

Interestingly enough, today is Feinstein's birthday. The gub-toting -- yet gun-grabbing -- senator is 70 years old.

[goldstategop]

Good news! I hope Tom McClintock announces his candidacy the moment the recall goes into effect. We can't afford three more years of Gray Davis.

[Bullish]

The petition states the 'office' being recalled, not the official.

So even if he quits the office will still fall under a recall election.

[randita]

It doesn't work that way. Someone posted the California code on this the other day -- sorry I don't have the link. Basically, once the petitions are certified (which could very well be in July) Davis can't just resign and hand the office over to the Lt. Gov -- the Lt. Gov would serve until the special election, where the voters would choose the new permanent governor.

You're assuming the CA courts will enforce this law. I don't think they will. In the last few years, the FL SC attempted to rewrite and ignore election law (didn't get away with it) and the NJ SC did the same and did get away with it.

[mware]

LOL, I was at MSNBC news chat last week. One of the lib's was contemplating that he thought Clinton had a batchlor pad in CA., so he would qualify as a candidate.

My response to the post was to ask him if Hillary knew about this batchlor pad.

[Grampa Dave]

So when did conservatives start to believe ChiFi Frankenstein?

Don't worry about carpet baggers moving to Kalifornia if Davis leaves with a tarring and feathering.

This super rich elite facist, Chi Fi, is the one to be watching.

If GW is re elected in with a large mandate in 2004 and increases the republican leadership in the senate and the house, Chi Fi will lose a lot of her power and ability to make her husband even richer, if she stays as a US Senator. We will see an exodus of well known Rat senators when they finally and really lose power after the 2004 election. Chi Fi will be the first to leave while still viewed as in power by her voting cult if Davis is removed.

If Davis is removed, Chi Fi will probably return to California to become governor. That way she can direct billions and billions into his various economic fronts/businesses as the Governoress of California. Just look at the billions and billions still left in Cal Pers as one of the reasons for her to return to California.

Then, when the California economy turns around as it will, we can see her tossing her scarf into the ring to be the Rat Presidental Candidate for 2008. Because, she happened to be at the governorship when the economy of the nation and eventually California's turned around.

Just remember my semi famous question about Rat Politicians in this situation, "When do Rat Politicians lie?"

[oceanperch]

Thank God for little Miracles.

[Uncle Hal]

Folks I do not beleive for a moment that any of these so called "big name" democrats would not run if if looked like Davis was going to lose a recall election. They would all at once change their minds to save CA. from the big bad republicans if it looked like the GOP was going to capture the governorship. This all posturing hoping the the recall group fails. It is going to be a very interesting summer.

[BlueNgold]

So even Di-Fi is smart enough not to ask for command of a sinking ship...

[Dog Gone]

"Now the state's having a rough time. So is every other state in the union right now."

Liar.