CA: Bustamante first prominent Dem to announce run for governor

[meti57b]

Cruz Bustamante becomes first prominent Democrat to announce plans to run for governor

JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, August 6, 2003
23:18 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante announced late Wednesday he plans to take out papers as a candidate for governor in the Oct. 7 recall election targeting Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, making Bustamante the first politician to abandon the effort to keep prominent fellow Democrats off the ballot.

snip

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/08/06/state0141EDT0338.DTL

--------------------------

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AmericanErrorist]

1. What about Brian Flemming?

http://www.slumdance.com/flemmingforgovernor/


If elected, I will immediately resign. This action will make Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante the governor of California....If Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante takes the governor's office, even by unusual means, that will be by far the best result for our state and our democracy.

What will he do now?

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Kind of makes this guy's campaign irrelevent

[ronnykmarshall]

2. That's my choice now

I was going with Arianna, but if the Lt. Gov is running, so be it.

I'm still voting NO on the recall.

[meti57b]

3. Agree ... definitely vote NO to RECALL ....

but vote for Bustamante on part 2 of the ballot!

[robbedvoter]

4. Your post tells me that he did the right thing.

[ronnykmarshall]

6. He did do the right thing

This process of the recall is crap. The Lt. Gov is next in line and it should be that way in the recall.

There should be no list of candidates in the first place. If the GOPPIGs want to recall Davis, so be it. Then let the Lt. Gov take over.

[shanti]

10. yes!

mine too! i wanted him to run in 2006, so all the better.

[LWolf]

5. The only dem that *should* run.

He is the appropriate choice to take the governor's spot should he be recalled; he is the one we put in the "backup" position in the first place.

I have been uncomfortable all along with not having a dem choice; too many people don't like Davis and believe everything they read in pro-recall campaign literature. I also understand the strategy behind not placing a candidate on the ballot. Bustamonte is the logical choice here. We can have a candidate without compromising, since he is supposed to be Davis' successor anyway.

Now the important thing is to make him not the "first," but the "only" dem on the ballot.

[Le Taz Hot]

7. Well, it looks like Larry Flynt

just lost a vote. I'm not thrilled about Bustamonte the politician (even though I've been a supporter in the past), but he IS an established California Democrat and was probably going to run in 2006 anyway.

Vote "NO" on the California recall.
Vote Bustamonte for Governor (just in case the recall succeeds).

[ronnykmarshall]

9. Same with Arianna

I was going to vote NO and vote for her. But Cruz could easily take over in case the recall passes.

It's going to be UGLY! Speaking of ugly, what the hell with with Arnold's face? Did he hook up with Joan River's doc??? Talk about plastic.

[jamesinca]

8. We got our safety net.

I am voting against the recall, but I am still putting a check next to Bustamontes name on part two. I am at orgasmic levels of excitement. I have been afraid that there would not be a choice for the Dems and I don't feel the recall would be beat. I just hope there is no annimosity between Davis, Bustamonte and the rest of the Democratic party over this. I hope D and B are going at this as a team with the idea that one of the two will be governor.

[ronnykmarshall]

13. Thank GOD!

I wouldn't be suprised that Davis and Bustamonte agreed on this.

I feel much better with Cruz in the race. I would have felt even better in Dianne had ran. But I can understand why she didn't.

[trogdor]

24. You're probably right.

Davis probably ran into his office and said, "this is starting turn into a freak show. You'd better get in there before we have some dangerous lunatic in the statehouse."

Heck, his name begins with a B - that should put him on page one of the ballot.

[confusionisnext]

27. I think the name order is random by law

If there are hundreds on the ballot, happy hunting!

Candidate Status Report from the Secretary of State of CA

[shanti]

26. yes, aren't they friends?

n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

12. Interesting quote from Riordan's camp.

>>Among those caught off guard by Schwarzenegger's surprise announcement was his close friend and another potential candidate, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan. One of Riordan's closest advisors said the mayor thought he had an understanding that Schwarzenegger would withdraw from the race, easing Riordan's way in.

"So this is what it feels like to be mugged," the advisor said.<<


http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-recall7aug07,1,5633864.story?coll=la-home-headlines


Maybe ol' Arnie stabbed Dicky in the back?

[meti57b]

22. That is interesting ....

as from what we were reading in the press, the two of them were cooking up between them which of them would run.

[davidinalameda]

25. you're kidding me!

oh my god--poor old Dick

guess he was counting those chickens before they hatched AGAIN!

[ronnykmarshall]

28. Gotta story to tell ya ....

Picture it, West Hollywood 2000. Halloween night. Dick Riordan is on stage at the WeHo Halloween fest with his wife (a Demo). Dick tell the croud how his wife is supporting AL GORE for president. (Big cheers!) He then says how he supports BUSH for president. (LOUD BOOS) Mrs. R, "honey I told you this is NOT the place to be braging about something like THAT!"

Did I mention he was DRUNK as a skunk and the MC was saying that Dick was making out with the drag queens backstage?? Gotta love it!

[Tahoe Mom]

14. Good News

Like the rest of you, I felt Mr. Bustamamte was "next in line" and would be Governor in case Gray Davis couldn't serve for ANY reason. That's why I voted for him, so let's all vote no on the recall and check Bustamante on next page.

Tahoe Mom
:toast:

[Semi_subversive]

15. Better news

According to the news this morning, my boss, Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, threw his hat into the ring. That's where my vote's going.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Bad news

That is going to split the Democratic vote and increase the chances that a Republican will be elected.

[jamesinca]

21. That is what the Repugs have been worried about with all of theirs

The repugs have mentioned earlier and they were worried that a flood of republicans would kill their chances to do this. They kind of stopped with that since the Dems were not running anybody, they felt tht they would take the recall and a repug, one of several would win the Gov. seat. I bet that starts up again with Bustamonte on the ballot. All other Dems need to back off. They need to not do to their self what the repugs have done and that is dillute the vote for thier party. I am happy to see one Dem run, but I hope a bunch of them don't decide to run, that will be our end.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Agree completely ---

No on the recall

Yes on Cruz

:bounce:

[realFedUp]

16. I guess Loretta Sanchez can remove herself from the newsfray now..

Cruzing.

[ronnykmarshall]

18. I'd rather see Loretta in congress.

I'm glad that Cruz is in.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

19. YOU MUST BACK ONLY ONE CANDIDATE...

to replace Davis. The Democrats should rally behind the most popular one and make sure that they win it!
By the way, vote NO on the recall!

[ronnykmarshall]

20. I hear ya!

[neuvocat]

29. Wait a minute...

Why the hell doesn't he just step in in case Davis is recalled? This shit is insane.

[meti57b]

31. unfortunately, CA State law doesn't work that way.

[dolstein]

30. Unfortunately, he's not the last

Personally, I thought that Bustamente was the only Democrat with at least a plausible argument for appearing on the ballot -- after all, as Lt. Governor, he would normally become governor in the event of a vacancy in the office. Recalling Davis would, in effect, create the vacancy, and who better to fill it than the Lt. Governor? Indeed, there's been a legal challenge to the second part of the ballot based on the fact that the state constitution already prescribes a method for succession in that office.

Unfortunately, however, Bustamente appears to have opened the floodgates, and now a second statewide elected Democrat, the state insurance commission, has announced his intentions to get into the race. I certainly hope that someone can convince him to change his mind before it's too late, because having two prominent Democrats on the ballot makes it much easier for a Republican to win.

[David__77]

33. We'll have to convince Garamendi otherwise...

Perhaps he could be convinced. It just makes sense. CA likes to vote for lt. gov's. It helps also that he's Latino (not to be too cynical) and that he's from Fresno, where he performs better than any other Democrat would. Similar effect in Bakersfield, Modesto, etc...

[The Zanti Regent]

32. NO on Recall and vote for Bustamante

I will vote for Bustamante, and I pray he Terminates the Steroid Sniffer

[David__77]

34. I support Bustamante (and NO recall!)

This is what I thought the only feasible backup candidate. Bustamante is very pragmatic and sensible seeming.

[davidinalameda]

35. is there a link to Bustamonte's campaign yet

I haven't found anything

I really wanted to vote for Arianna but I have to vote for Cruz.