Diane Feinstein opposes the Davis recall effort in part because she also faced a recall years ago initiated by gun control opponents.
Rich
Posted on Fri, Jun. 13, 2003
By Dion Nissenbaum
Mercury News Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO - The growing sense that California is on the verge of an unprecedented political coup attempt has set off a furious behind-the-scenes scramble for the governor's job that could easily devolve into a mud wrestling match before it is all over.
Now that the once laughed-at drive to oust Gov. Gray Davis is being taken seriously, virtually anyone with the dream of becoming governor has started to draw up campaign plans and jostle for position.
``It will be the closest thing to political anarchy that any of us have seen in our lifetimes,'' said Republican political consultant Dan Schnur.
Much still needs to fall into place before Californians would face the first-ever recall vote on a governor. But the anti-Davis forces are working feverishly to round up the required 900,000 signatures to force a special election this fall. The campaign says it already has 700,000 signatures, although only a small portion have been verified.
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Feinstein may be the Democratic Party's best candidate, but she has sent few signals that she is eager or willing to jump into the fray.
``They would have to make a very strong, persuasive case to get her to even consider it,'' said Bill Carrick, a longtime Feinstein consultant. ``She is very committed to beating this thing, and thinks it's an outrageous abuse of the recall process.''
Recall target
Part of Feinstein's visceral opposition may stem from her own run-in with the process when she was mayor of San Francisco. Twenty years ago, a fringe group of gun control opponents succeeded in forcing Feinstein to face a recall. While Feinstein turned back the recall, it left an indelible impression on her, Carrick said.
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