CA Recall Election Results Mapped

Here's an interesting map breaking down the CA election by county. (link via ColdFury)

Update: Susanna Cornett has more

CNN projection: Davis Out, Schwarzenegger Wins

Dogs and cats living together, bricks falling out of buildings ... and this from CNN:

CNN projects that California's electorate will recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and choose actor-turned-politician, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Golden State's next governor, based on statewide exit polls.

Davis, re-elected to a second term less than a year ago, would become the first governor recalled from office since 1921, when North Dakota voters ousted Gov. Lynn Frazier.

CA: Voter Sexual Harassment By Poll Worker Reported

This post on the weblog "CalBlog" describes voter harassment by poll workers during today's CA Recall election.

Also reported on Instapundit.com.

The Voter Integrity Project

Very interesting article in the Wall St. Journal about voter fraud, and steps being taken to comabt it:

"Courts are playing an increasing role in elections. Soon after Oct. 7, if either the recall or the vote for a replacement governor in the Golden State is close, the lawyers will certainly be back in court. And that's not the only race that may be litigated. This fall's race for mayor of Philadelphia also promises to be close.

Perhaps, then, Attorney General John Ashcroft would do well to repeat his 2002 Voter Integrity Program, which dramatically reduced both Republican allegations of voter fraud and Democratic complaints of suppressed minority votes.

Mr. Ashcroft successfully cut down on monkey business by training FBI agents and officials from U.S. attorney's offices around the country in techniques "to prevent election offenses and bring violators to justice," Including how to prevent discrimination against minorities. Last fall more than 300 federal officials came in for a day of training in Washington...."

Huffington Might Drop Recall Bid

From SFGate:

Independent commentator Arianna Huffington said Monday she is strongly considering leaving the recall race, signaling a growing fear among the political left that Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger stands a good chance of becoming California's next governor.

Huffington, appearing at a campaign event in San Francisco, said she would decide as soon as today whether to urge her supporters to oppose the recall and possibly back Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante -- reflecting the view that in a close race, votes by progressives for Huffington and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo could help elect Schwarzenegger.

Link via Drudge

Latest Recall Poll Numbers

From Gallup:

Davis Offers; Schwarzenneger Declines

According to CNN, Gov. Gray Davis invited Arnold to a debate on Larry King, and the former actor declined. The Schwarzenneger campaign claims this is an act of desperation from Davis who is not even running against Schwarzenneger in the October 7th election.

Back to the Absurdity; Watch the CA Debate

Well, I'm back to the reality of our political process this morning after a day of unbelieveable baseball. If you too missed the last gubernatorial debate, Tom McClintock is graciously offering his broadband for our edification. Thanks to Austin Barrow at Poliart for this link.

I Can't Believe I Missed the Recall Debate

Well, I have to apologize to you all. I missed the CA Recall debate tonight. I had planned to watch it but I've just been a little preoccupied by our cursed (and hopefully blessed) Cubs. They're in first place in the last week of baseball and half of Chicago is afraid to turn the channel...or breathe for that matter. Anyway, from all the reports I've seen, it sounds like the debate was juicy. Here's a couple of classic bytes I found at Reuters:

He [Schwarzenegger] lashed out at fellow immigrant Huffington, saying she had paid almost no personal income tax over the past two years.

"Your personal income is the biggest loophole; I can drive my Hummer through it," he said.
...
When Schwarzenegger later attempted to interrupt Huffington, she said: "This is the way you treat women, we know that."

It was one of the sharpest daggers of the evening, because of allegations that Schwarzenegger's past statements and behavior reveal a sexist attitude. Given a chance to respond, the action star said: "I would just like to say that I just realized I have a perfect part for you in Terminator 4."
...
[Huffington]"Let me just continue and see who can speak louder in a foreign accent."

Davis Files His Own Lawsuit

From the Modesto Bee:

Predicting "government by marginal and extreme political forces" if the election to recall him goes forward as planned, Gov. Davis on Monday added his own lawsuit to the stacks awaiting court action.
The California Supreme Court, which already has begun weighing four other recall-related cases, set a Thursday deadline for a preliminary round of written arguments on Davis' suit.

The governor also asked the same court to rule that he can run as a candidate to succeed himself if he is recalled -- a possibility that Rescue California, the recall committee, said "would only give Gray Davis the opportunity to lose twice in the same election."

Full Story

Gustav Schwarzenegger Cleared

Somehow this story got by me. I hadn't realized that Gustav Schwarzenegger, Ahhnold's father, was being investigated for his connections with the Nazis. He was apparently a member of a Nazi paramilitary group known as Storm Troopers but was not involved in any war crimes. At least that is the judgment of the Simon Wiesenthal Center a Jewish rights organization.

Ueberroth Quits Recall Race

From CNN:

With the latest statewide poll showing his support in the single digits, Republican gubernatorial candidate Peter Ueberroth Tuesday pulled out of the October 7 recall race.

"I will continue to work hard, I'm going to work very hard to keep jobs in this state and to create jobs in this state – but not as a candidate for governor," said Ueberroth.

Full Story

Schwarzenegger Signs Shultz for Team

George, not Charles. And it would seem Arnold is serious. From Yahoo / AP:

Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Thursday that former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz will co-chair an Economic Recovery Council for his gubernatorial campaign ...

... [Warren] Buffett and Shultz will be joint co-chairs of the economic council. The appointments of Buffett, a Democrat, and Republican Shultz reflect the campaign's attempt to assemble a diverse and bipartisan team.

Huffington Receives Flack Over Taxes

She apparently did nothing illegal, but in the California's version of the Greatest Show on Earth, that doesn't seem to matter. From a Chicago Tribune article this morning:

TV commentator and author Arianna Huffington, who launched her campaign for California governor with criticism of "fat cats" who fail to shoulder a fair share of taxes, paid no individual state income tax and just $771 in federal taxes during the last two years, her tax returns show.

Huffington, who released her tax returns for the last two years to the Los Angeles Times, lives in an 8,000-square-foot home valued at about $7 million.

But the returns show that at least for the last two years, her income far outweighed reported losses by Christabella Inc., the private corporation she owns and uses to manage her writing and lecturing business.

Given that it's common knowledge that Huffington is not blue collar, I am not sure there is a story here. Yet, it might be a sign of the mud-slinging to come between the higher profile candidates.

Advising Ah-nold

Over at Armed Liberal, I've started what I think will be a series of posts advising Ah-nold on how to lock up my support (and the support of the tens of thousands of Californians like me).

Schwarzenegger's Liberal Views Leave GOP Flummoxed

What do you know: A.S. is pro-choice, pro-gun control and pro-gay rights. Read more here at the S. F. Chronicle:

As Arnold Schwarzenegger explodes onto the national political scene as California's great Republican hope, conservatives are increasingly voicing concern over his lack of right-wing credentials.

From talk radio to the pages of conservative journals, Republicans are openly struggling over whether to rally around a man who may break the Democratic lock on state government, or keep their distance from a candidate who appears to be at odds with their core ideology.

Pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights -- and yet to identify a single cut he'd make in the state's deficit-ridden budget -- Schwarzenegger would put a new face on the Republican Party from coast to coast.

Schwarzenegger Taps Warren Buffett for Campaign

... and his financial advisor will be Warren Buffett. From FOXNews:

Financial and investment guru Warren Buffett (search) will serve as actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's senior financial and economic adviser in his gubernatorial bid, the Schwarzenegger for Governor campaign announced Wednesday ...

... The announcement came as the Schwarzenegger camp announced new roles for several former top aides to GOP Gov. Pete Wilson, who has been working closely with the actor in his bid to replace Gov. Gray Davis in a recall election scheduled for Oct. 7.

Fox News has confirmed that former Wilson chief of staff Bob White will run the Schwarzenegger campaign and a senior adviser will be Patricia Cleary, a top aide in Wilson's administration who is taking a leave of absence from a large hospital firm, Tenet Healthcare Corporation. Marty Wilson, a top Wilson political adviser, will also join the campaign.

Sacramento Bee starts "Insider" Blog

Add this to your list of good resources for the California recall election. Daniel Weintraub, a "California Insider", is now blogging for the Sacramento Bee.

Davis Files Recall Lawsuit

This is a bit dated, but when it occurred I refrained from posting it. Gov. Gray Davis has filed a law suit seeking to delay the California recall election until March and to fix alleged weaknesses in the recall election law. All so that the CA election of 2003 doesn't make the Florida election of 2000 look like a "cakewalk".

On the October 7th ballot, voters will have to answer two questions. A) Should Gov. Davis be recalled and (B) Who should relpace him. The alleged weakness is that the first question is a yes/no question which requires a strict majority. Question B has an unlimited range of choices requiring one only to receive a plurality in order to win. Davis' contention is that it is unfair and "unconstitutional" that he could have 49% of the votes on the first question, but still be replaced by someone with a mere 20% on the second question. So
Its certainly a creative argument but it doubtful it will get very far.

Davis also wants to move the election to March claiming it will save the state millions of dollars

Bush Is Coy, White House Cautious In Recall Strategy

President Bush will be in CA Thursday for a two-day campaign swing, and there's some consideration about how Karl Rove et al will handle the recall issue here from NBC4. But is a Davis recall good or bad for the Bush camp? Seems there's some disagreement on the issue:

While Bush and his top advisers profess to be little more than curious onlookers to an unpredictable drama, Democrats insist the recall has been at least partly orchestrated by the White House -- an illegitimate power grab, they say, in a state Bush lost by more than 13 million votes in 2000.

As recently as three weeks ago, there was a consensus among the Bush political team -- including powerful adviser Karl Rove -- that Bush's own prospects in California would be better served if the unpopular Davis remained in office during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Schwarzenegger Films Would Trigger FCC Equal Time Rule

What'chu talkin'bout, Willis? From the San Diego Union Tribune:

Films and television shows featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and other celebrity candidates in California's gubernatorial recall election will likely not be broadcast in the state for the next few months so that stations can avoid having to give rival candidates equal time.

The airing of "Total Recall" or another Schwarzenegger film, or a repeat of a "Diff'rent Strokes" episode with Gary Coleman on broadcast television in California would trigger the Federal Communications Commission's equal time provision, allowing other candidates to demand the same amount of time.

Slightly Off-Topic, But Here's The First Calif. Recall Poll ...

... and Arnold has the lead. Poll conducted by CNN/Time; story by SF Gate:

Gov. Gray Davis would lose his job in the Oct. 7 recall election, a poll found Saturday, while actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is the strongest candidate to replace him.

The Time/CNN poll, released on the last day for candidates to file to run in the election, found 54 percent of voters would recall the Democratic governor and 35 percent would keep him in office. Eleven percent were not sure.

Of eight potential replacement candidates, Schwarzenegger, a Republican, got support from 25 percent of respondents. Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante got 15 percent.

The rest of the potential candidates were in single digits: 9 percent for state Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks; 7 percent for GOP businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in November; 4 percent for former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth; 4 percent for columnist Arianna Huffington; and 4 percent for Hustler publisher Larry Flynt.