As noted yesterday in the Capitol Alert, Merced County DA Larry Morse has said he will not be a candidate to replace Denham in the June recall election. That would seem to leave Monterey County Supervisor and former member of the Assembly Simón Salinas as the most likely candidate, although he has not yet made any official statements to that effect.
Meanwhile Denham's aggressive defense against the recall has shifted toward questioning the paid signature gatherers - charging that some were from out of state, in violation of CA law, and that most were not from SD-12 - another error. In an interesting maneuver, the Denham campaign went to the very same Larry Morse to ask for an investigation of these charges. Morse refused, but I wonder if that played a role in his decision to not run against Denham in the recall.
Regardless of whether Morse or someone else investigates the matter, it's a little odd that the Dems would leave so many bread crumbs for the Denham folks. It appears that the majority of the petition-gatherers were not from Denham's 12th District, as they needed to be. The Denham folks also note that other listed as paid signature-gatherers registered at non-existent addresses or hotels. Add this to the tapes of gatherers telling voters that they're from Detroit or somesuch and it seems like there's enough evidence to hang your hat on...
...now of course in California you cannot tape someone without their acceptance, so those tapes would be illegal, too.
Regardless of whether or not the charges have merit, this is a good strategy for Denham to delegitimize the recall in the minds of SD-12 voters.
Over the weekend the CDP resolutions committee endorsed the recall of Jeff Denham in SD-12. The Republicans have thrown a massive hissy fit over this, similar to the hissy fit Yacht Party regulars like Sam Blakeslee have thrown, denouncing those who dare to identify his record in public. All of a sudden we're seeing op-eds throughout the region and across the state decrying what is routinely identified as a "Don Perata-engineered power grab." The latest comes from the fount of conventional wisdom in the California political media, George Skelton:
This is the time of year when the northern San Joaquin Valley is actually bucolic. Temperatures are bearable. The hills are green and the orchards are in full bloom -- almonds gussied in white, peaches in pink.
Too bad that this spring there's also a foul odor of Sacramento political pollution.
In a nutshell, the local state senator -- Republican Jeff Denham of Merced -- didn't vote for the state budget last summer. That contributed to a 52-day stalemate and angered the Senate leader, Democrat Don Perata of Oakland. So Perata now is trying to recall Denham.
Not just a payback, but the political death penalty.
Funny, I don't remember such high dudgeon back in 2003, when the recall of Gray Davis was viewed as a victory for democracy and an opportunity for the people to have their say.
Here's what's actually going on. Professional hack Kevin Spillane is good at getting his propaganda into the papers. And the media obliges without any historical perspective whatsoever. If Republicans want to put forth a measure ending recall petitions and allowing any state officer to finish out their term, go ahead; I'd probably support it. But they don't. They want to use the recall when it suits them and whine about "fairness" and "power grabs" when it doesn't. There could not have possibly been a bigger power grab than the Darrell Issa and Ted Costa-funded recall of Gray Davis. Anyone in the so-called liberal media dumb enough not to understand this notion of asymmetrical warfare isn't worth reading.
I fear that the Spillane hack-o-thon is bearing fruit in scaring off Democrats from pressing forward on this recall; there certainly wasn't a lot of talk about it or enthusiasm at the convention, nor was there any potential challenger in sight pressing the flesh. The Denham recall, in fact, is what the process was invented for: when legislators protect their own or their party's interest at the expense of the people they should be held accountable. Jeff Denham is part of an effort to stop California lawmakers from doing their jobs and eliminate, for practical purposes, the role of government in the state. The Iron Law of Institutions dictate that "people within institutions act to increase their own power rather than the power of the institution itself." The only way to deal with that from the outside is use the legal tools available to exact leverage on the institution. If it was OK for a Republican to use, so too for a Democrat.
So these media types and their hacktastic Republican spinmeisters can shut their whiny little mouths and defend their role in the shutdown of democracy in California to the voters. Jeff Denham ought to be able to defend himself instead of crying about the "process."
"Now even though I was criticized by Sen. Perata, who said, 'Boy, he should not mind our business. We know exactly what we are doing.' Well, obviously they don't know exactly what they are doing because otherwise we wouldn't have a $14 billion deficit. If everyone knows exactly what they are doing, we wouldn't have the budget mess in 2003 which created the recall election."
and
"Sometimes you see schools protesting out there or sending me letters," Schwarzenegger said. "I'm with them. I wish I could stand there protesting, too. Because we have to protest the budget system. Not this year's budget. The budget system is the failure. That is what has to be corrected as quickly as possible."
Now, try to pick just one direction to run with in those brief words. Will you talk about the Governor throwing stones from his glass budgetary house? Will you talk about how this is the perfect summation to your thesis on how the Governor talks like a moderate reformer but acts like a through-and-through (occasionally insane) fiscal conservative? Will you talk about how productive it usually is when resolving disputes to point fingers and call people names? Will you talk about the absurd, both-sides-of-the-mouth, 'I support education above everything except that it's the first to go' rhetoric?
Those are just a few conversation starters for you. Reflect on them, offer your own, whatever.
So you expect a couple of conservative bitter-enders like KFI shock jocks John and Ken to depict Italian-American Don Perata as a Mafia boss. Slightly less expected was that the same graphic would make its way onto local news in Sacramento.
A televised graphic depicting Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata as an apparent Mafia leader, pointing a gun skyward, has angered Italian-Americans.
Bill Cerruti, who is chairman of a state Italian-American task force and leader of the Italian-American Cultural Society, blasted the characterization today and demanded an apology.
The graphic, depicting Perata in a purple suit and white tie, was broadcast by Sacramento's KOVR 13 - with anchor Chris Burrous - and on the website of talk-show hosts "John and Ken" of KFI radio in Los Angeles, Cerruti said.
Burrous goes on to blast Perata for suggesting the state raise taxes to help balance the state budget.
Yes, anyone who doesn't want to see thousands of teachers fired and elderly people denied health care is most certainly a gangster.
I'm not wired for outrage, so you tell me if this slur is beyond the pale or not. What I do know and expect is that the Denham recall will provide plenty more opportunities for the "Don" Perata slur to manifest itself, and the dead-ender anti-tax forces running his recall opposition campaign are not likely to disappoint. Hopefully they have Perata shoot bullets from a Tommy gun into their "No on the Recall" logo! Hey guys, pay me for that idea before you use it!
I've been perusing some of the reaction in the local papers on the qualification of the Jeff Denham recall on the ballot, and there's some interesting stuff in there. From Hank Shaw in the Stockton Record, we learn that Denham has been harvesting money for months, and given the lack of campaign finance limits in a recall election, expect more Chamber of Commerce members to fork over big novelty checks.
Denham has been raising money hand over fist to defend himself. He collected a $50,000 check from Oakdale Sierra Tel, a telecommunications company, late last week and has amassed more than $300,000 so far. As the target of a recall, Denham can raise cash in unlimited amounts.
Telecom company, ay? Not that Denham has anything to do with the FISA fight, but telecoms aren't exactly popular figures in districts with a 45-36 registration advantage for Democrats.
As for who the opponent will be, it looks like there are two potential candidates, former Assemblymember Simon Salinas and Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse. Morse claims that Perata contacted him last month about running.
After the meeting, Morse said he spoke with Denham about the offer as a courtesy because there are never any secrets in Sacramento; he didn't want the senator learning about it from someone else.
Morse ran for Assembly in 1996 and lost to Dennis Cardoza, and also considered a run for Senate in 2002, which would have pitted him against Denham.
Since becoming district attorney, Morse said he's made progress in office and hasn't considered any other elected slot.
"I'm not sure what set of circumstances could induce me to leave," he said. "When the president of the Senate asks to talk with you, you probably owe him the courtesy of talking to him."
Morse is apparently big on courtesy. If he did run, would he let Denham in on his ad information and oppo research because he "doesn't want him to learn about it from someone else"?
"The bad news for Perata, who started this recall, is this vote will take place right in the middle of the debate over the 2008-09 budget," Denham campaign consultant Tim Clark said.
Yes, exactly! And voters don't want their schools dismantled and their teachers fired. It was also amusing to hear hired gun Kevin Spillane say in the Fresno Bee that the recall has Sacramento ties. Right, because you're the salt of the earth from Stanislaus County, right?
I am liking the aggressive reaction from the Dump Denham folks.
Perata spokeswoman Alicia Trost referred calls to Paul Hefner, spokesman for the "Dump Denham" recall campaign.
"The voters have caught on to Jeff Denham. They're recalling him for the same reasons people take unsafe toys off the shelf and tainted meat out of supermarkets-because they're no good, and because we deserve better," Hefner said in a statement.
This is a pretty big deal. I really hadn't been paying much attention to this recall possibility, but it's come to fruition. There have only been 8 other recall elections of sitting state legislators to qualify for the ballot in the past 90 years. Jeff Denham becomes the ninth.
The recall attempt of Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Atwater, has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced Tuesday.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must set the recall election for a date 60 to 80 days from today, Bowen's office reports.
Once the Governor sets the date, (it seems almost certain that he'll pick June 3, which is 77 days away and also the day of the statewide primary) candidates can emerge. And given Sen. Perata's interest in this race, I think we'll see some strong Democrats contest this seat, unlike the somewhat shameful behavior in SD-15, where apparently Abel Maldonado's vote for last year's budget got him a reprieve from any challenge (right now there's no Democrat on the ballot to face Maldonado, though a write-in campaign still has time to emerge). However, this does put the Senate in play to flip to a 2/3 majority, given this race and the race in SD-19 with Hannah-Beth Jackson versus Tony Strickland.
Like the gubernatorial recall in 2003, there will be two questions on the ballot. The first will ask if Denham should be recalled, and the second will ask who among a list of challengers should replace him.
It seems to me that this is an excellent opportunity to message-test the major themes around the budget, revenues, and spending in advance of the nasty legislative fight and the November general election. While I don't expect this recall to be as exciting as Gray Davis', or to feature Gary Coleman, to the extent that it's a referendum on failed conservative ideology I think it could be extremely revelatory.
Robert is our resident expert in this neck of the state, I expect him to chime in.
UPDATE: Apparently, the old No on 93 team is getting back together to support Denham. So expect them to make this about Perata and a power grab. Whatever they choose, this will be extremely costly to the CRP at a time when they don't have the money. And they have to be extremely nervous about this stat:
The recall campaign, funded by the Democratic Party and a campaign committee linked to Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, turned in more than 61,000 signatures last month, nearly double the 31,084 need to qualify.
I would guess that 61,000 voters would be more than enough to dump Denham in June.
If (the recall) happens," said Salinas, a former assemblyman, "I am willing to say, look at my credentials, and certainly ask for (voters') support."...
He said he's played no role in the signature gathering to qualify the recall for the ballot. But if it qualifies, Salinas said, the Democratic Party needs to be ready to offer an experienced candidate.
"My concern is, if it happens, we need effective representation," he said.
The county supervisor added that he is now ready to return to Sacramento state government.
"I have taken my break," he said. "My son is going to be going to college, so I figure I have the time."
And as we saw in 2003, the chances of a successful recall increase if you can get voters excited about someone waiting in the wings to replace the recall target. Salinas is, of course, a much better politician than Arnold, but if he can rally voters to his cause, then Denham is in even more trouble than it had appeared on Friday.
The Dump Denham effort submitted some 50,000 recall petition signatures Friday, enough to force Jeff Denham to answer to voters for breaking his promises to schools, secretly raising his own pay, and blocking legislation to help homeowners facing foreclosure.
"We've had enough of Jeff Denham's broken promises, his back-room deals with special interests and his dishonest way of treating the people who elected him - starting with his very own paycheck," said Gary Robbins, leader of the recall drive. "By signing these petitions, 50,000 voters are saying 'we can't wait three years for honest representation.' It's time to dump Jeff Denham."
...Despite the recall petitions circulated against him through the fall, Denham continued to treat his constituents with contempt, voting to kill urgent legislation to help homeowners facing foreclosure in the subprime mortgage crisis.
"For Denham to turn his back on us when thousands of us are losing their homes - just to curry favor with some of the very the bankers who caused this crisis - was the last straw," Robbins said.
Clearly the campaign has found its narrative, it's "elevator speech" explaining why a recall is necessary - that Denham broke his promises on education, misled constituents to get a pay raise, and most significantly, blocked efforts to provide relief to homeowners facing foreclosure.
That last item, said to be the "last straw" by the campaign, is significant. Denham's district, which includes Modesto, Merced, and Salinas is among the hardest hit places in the world by the bursting of the housing bubble (only Stockton is worse off). Perata obviously believes that this creates an opportunity to go after Denham, and it's hard to disagree.
Additionally, this may indicate that the Democratic leadership in Sacramento has decided to stand and fight on the budget crisis. Putting a recall on the ballot would seem to rule out any compromise with Denham, and might signal a deeper strategy of going after Republicans who might prefer to use the same delaying tactics that they used to delay the 2007-08 budget by two months.
I've always felt that Democrats were in the driver's seat on the budget this year, as opposed to last summer, and this merely adds to that view. Democrats have nothing to lose and everything to gain by refusing to destroy public education, health care, and state parks. Laying the blame for this crisis, and the housing crisis, at the feet of Republicans in this manner is very good politics and should be the basis of all Democratic campaigns against GOP candidates in the state this year.
Ultimately, this also helps us get that much closer to 2/3. We're only two seats away in the Senate - SD-12 would join SD-15 and SD-19, where Tom McClintock! is now being termed out, as the key battlegrounds. It's not clear when Arnold will schedule the recall (might I suggest November 4?), but the fight is now on for the state's future.
With ten ballots to be counted tomorrow this is a preliminary count, but it is simply huge! Talk about people-powered politics... The recall was an overwhelming success. All five members of the Planning Group who voted to approve Blackwater's plans were recalled by unbelievable margins. The election will be certified within two days and the Save Potero slate will take office, hopefully in time for their Thursday meeting.
Keep in mind that Bush won by 25.8% in 2008. Everybody was recalled by over 60% of the vote. Gordon Hammers, who has been the most vocal Blackwater supporter and served as chair of the group, was recalled by nearly 70% of the vote.
All of the numbers are on the flip. Go check 'em out. Just an incredible victory. They did a phenomenal job on GOTV, getting 160 or so out of the 190 who signed the original petition against Blackwater to turn in their ballots. The people of Potrero had an unbelievable victory tonight, but will need all of our help as the fight moves on to the next level: the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
Can you tell from the superlatives that I am just a wee bit excited? These folks are my heroes.
Join the movement to Block Blackwater at www.blockblackwater.com, powered by the Courage Campaign.
Last night, I was watching CSI Miami with an episode featuring a rogue mercenary contractor outfit killing people stateside. I didn't get a chance to finish the show, because my phone rang with a reporter wanting to talk about Blackwater. At that point, I realized Blackwater really is the talk of the town, but no where more so than Potrero, California this evening when the voters have a chance to recall the local planning commissioners who voted to allow a mercenary base in California.
Realize, those voting in the VBM special recall election represent a very conservative electorate that Bush won in 2004 by over 25 points. So if the move to recall the Blackwater supporters votes breaks 40%, we'll see that even Bush supporters aren't down with the GOP plan to privatize via crisis.
This article written by: Former Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson of Speak Out california
I remember as a youngster believing that the President and the government would protect us from harmful things---like gas fumes at the pump and toys that broke off and could hurt babies and little children. Of course, I was quite young at the time, not yet at double digits, the country was much more naive and Dwight Eisenhower was president. This was obviously a long time ago!
But I took the notion seriously that government had a moral and constitutional responsibility to protect the public and keep us from harms way---whether it be from enemies to our shores, criminals threatening our personal peace and safety or just known bad things being cast upon us by those who didn't care about our well-being.
It turns out I was very naive, and had a misplaced sense of what government, at least in times of Ike,considered to be its responsibilities. But as time has moved on, the role of government to protect us as consumers and as individuals has evolved. Particularly in the 1970's, and somewhat ironically, under both Republican and Democratic presidents, the role of the EPA, the Consumer Protection Agency and other publicly concerned entities took a front-and-center position in helping protect our nation and our natural resources. After all, it was Richard Nixon who signed the Clean Water Act (although it was pushed heavily by the democratically controlled congress). To his credit, he also oversaw the first Environmental Protection Agency, committed to protecting our environmental health.
Fast-forward to today and we see a stark contrast between a national commitment to protect the public and an adminstration which has blatantly and shamelessly pronounced that the public health is of no concern to it. That seems to be the message of this week's extraordinary conduct of one Nancy A. Nord, the acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
