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Edited on Wed Oct-31-07 08:01 PM by Hawaii Hiker
Well, obviously Republicans are quite worried about 2008, or they wouldn't be pushing this attempt to RIG the election in CA. next year...
Issa financing GOP electoral initiative By Kevin Yamamura - kyamamura@sacbee.com
Published 2:16 pm PDT Wednesday, October 31, 2007
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Congressman Darrell Issa, who spent $1.7 million to qualify the 2003 gubernatorial recall, said Wednesday he has made "a small contribution" toward an initiative to change how California's electoral votes are tallied in next year's presidential election.
The Republican congressman also said he is sending out letters to some of the same voters who signed recall petitions in 2003, asking them to submit signatures once again for the proposed measure, which would split the state's Electoral College votes. Two longtime Republican political consultants and a major GOP fundraiser revived the initiative effort last week after its initial backers abandoned the proposal in September.
Issa declined to specify how much money he contributed. Asked whether he would give more than his initial contribution to help qualify the initiative, he said in a phone interview, "You never do the hypotheticals."
The previous effort had gathered between 100,000 and 200,000 signatures for the initiative, GOP consultant Dave Gilliard estimated last week. To qualify an initiative for the ballot with confidence in California, groups generally aim for 700,000 signatures to ensure they have lined up enough valid ones to meet the state requirement of 433,971.
Democrats have charged that the initiative is a ploy to ensure Republicans obtain 20 or more electoral votes next year in California, the electoral-rich state which no GOP candidate has won since President George H.W. Bush in 1988.
"Voters should be given the opportunity to decide these matters, and California is simply taken for granted every election cycle," Issa said. "Right now, we get to contribute money and that's the end of it. Candidates do not come out and campaign because we're not in play. I think it would be good if this happened in state after state, particularly large states like New York and California."
For the complete story, see Thursday's Bee.
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