<p>SACRAMENTO – Those most anxious to oust Gov. Gray Davis say he lied to the public last year about the magnitude of California's swelling budget crisis until after he was safely re-elected on Nov. 5.</p>
<p>That allegation, denied by the governor, gathered steam as the deficit soared and the economy dipped during 2002. It fired the recall drive and strikes at the heart of the governor's credibility.</p>