San Francisco Chronicle: Unions tell Democrats: Back Davis or suffer

[Jack Rabbit]

From the San Francisco Chronicle
Dated Wednesday August 6

Unions tell Democrats: Back Davis or suffer
Governor hopes for $10 million from labor
By Robert Salladay, Chronicle Political Writer

Powerful labor unions threatened retribution Tuesday against any Democrat who challenges Gov. Gray Davis on the recall ballot and prepared to spend millions of dollars for the embattled governor.
Davis, back from his meeting in Chicago with AFL-CIO leaders, is effectively building a unionized wall around his campaign to defeat the Oct. 7 recall. But he's also sending a message this week to high-profile Democrats such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante that political suicide awaits if they enter the race before the Saturday filing deadline.
Miguel Contreras, head of the 800,000-member Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said prominent Democrats are being asked to stay off the ballot, stand with labor and the Democratic Party -- or face a stick as punishment.
"And the stick is: If you betray us, we won't forget it," said Contreras. "We're saying you have to step up and help us out, that we're Democrats and we need to stay united."

Read more.
And they say running a candidate in the replacement election would be political suicide?

[goforit]

1. Yep ...It is time for DEMS to fight fire with fire!!!..No Banana Republics

Everyone needs to rally!!!

[joefree1]

2. Wa-hoooo!

We're gonna fight back! Lock and load.


http://stoptherecall.com

[Cha]

3. Yes! Don't let the Vile rePukes set any agenda for the Dems.

Especially in Democratic California! :kick:

[liberalnurse]

4. Now thats team work!

I'ts a shame they have to be scolded into behaving like they belong to the democratic party.

[tlb]

5. I hadn't forseen this.

I would have thought the unions would be more interested in keeping a democratic governor in Sacramento and less interested in keeping Gray Davis personally there. Opposing the recall is one thing, but this all or nothing strategy discourages any strong democrat from offering himself as the alternative to Rhiordon.

From the east coast it looks like Davis is going down. If the only alternatives are Larry Flynt and Arianna, there will soon be a republican governor of California. What is the AFL-CIO thinking.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. The unions are thinking of what is best for California

despite the "spin" right now, they know what is best. RIGHT ON!!! The Dems need to stand together and stand firm. That's how we win.

[searchingforlight]

7. I ABSOLUTELY believe they are right.

He was elected fairly and this is a vendetta. IF all the Dems support him it will be a victory of far-reaching proportions.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. I agree, but it is a big IF

Over one-third of those who signed the recall peition were Democrats. It doesn't look good.

[searchingforlight]

11. But I think it is a matter of selling.

Lots of people sign things because they are in the moment. It the matter is laid before them, what they are losing, whom their choices are, why they voted for Davis to begin with, why the deficit is what it is, who is really responsible, I think they can overcome this.

It is easy to see from here and when you are away from someone pushing a petition in your face, trying to sell you something (and being paid for selling it) the brain starts to function again.

[SideshowScott]

8. Im getting SICK of fair weather Democrats...

The democrats that are turning thire back on davis have pissed me off to no end..Not only are they playing into the GOPs hand but they are damageing the party..And basicly saying to the GOP hey if you lose fair and square..Just have a recall..The Democratic party needs to be united on most all fronts..True we can disagree we are not brian washed republicans after all, but this could be a big time blow to the democratic party if the GOP wins and help make Bush's re-election closer to a reality....The Dems need to more united totaly..Im glad the unions spoke up..I hope that they have been heard by the Dems that have distnaced themselves from davis or thinking about running

[davidinalameda]

9. People really do not like Gray Davis

I will vote against the recall but I will vote for someone for governor because Davis is going to lose!

Right now, it's 55% in favor of recall.

I would much rather have a Democrat in the governor's mansion than a Republican. The party needs to put someone up in case that Davis does lose, and it's looking pretty damn bleak for him.

I don't want to live in a state with Darryl Issa as governor.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. Fuck the polls

really, stand and fight this BS.

[ronnykmarshall]

18. Not what I heard

KABC 7 in LA:

47 % for recall

33 % depends on possible candidate

20 % against

Looks like to me people are wanted a viable replacement. From the crop (or crock) that has come from the GOP, doesn't look like anyone is crazy about them.

[JackSwift]

13. I turned my back on Davis long ago

I was disgusted within weeks of his inaugeration, to which he invited me. He turned his back on the rank and file activists who elected him. I'm going to vote against the recall, but I am sorry I will not be able to vote for a prominent Dem on the ballot to hedge my bet.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. How can you get more "rank and file" than the unions?

[sungkathak]

15. Union helps Reps covertly

Who controls Union? Intelligence. When G.Davis is apparently in inferior position, what Union does covertly give the Governor post to Reps. This recall is activated by Intelligence. Union is their resource.

[mac56]

17. Are you saying the unions are trying to sabotage Davis?

Welcome, sungkathak -

but do you have anything to back up that theory?

[Xithras]

16. Just protecting their investment

I realize I'm the minority here, but Davis is the most corrupt California politician we've seen since the days of the railroad barons. I used to work for the CalEPA and EDD via the CalDGS in Sacramento, and EVERYWHERE I went I heard the same tired lines..."before starting any major projects, remember to send Davis his bribe". Davis is a political animal, nothing more. If you look at his political record, you'll see that he's not particularly liberal or conservative (except to make headlines right before an election), but that he ALWAYS votes in favor of his campaign donors. He hangs a "D" after his name because California is a Dem state and he knows it'll get him elected...if the Rethugs held more power here, he'd have run as an R. The unions know they have a "yes-man" in the Capitol, and they've spent a lot of money to make sure that he gives them what they want, so it's understandable that they're threatened by the recall. They want to protect their investment and keep the game in their favor as long as possible.

That said, I won't be voting for the recall. Issa knows that he can't win a normal election in this state, so the recall was created to give him a shot at a low-turnout election (which Repugs typically do better in). I may hold a low opinion of Davis, but performing a political end-run around the wishes of the voters in this state is unacceptable. I refuse to vote for Davis, but I'll vote against the recall. If there are no other Dems on the ballot, I'll leave the second half blank. If there are other Dems on the ballot, I'll give them my vote. For the sake of our party, I REALLY hope that we get another viable Dem candidate on the ballot to run against Davis though. I'm an active CSEA member and work at a liberal college, but the opinion here is running decidedly AGAINST Davis. The ONLY argument I hear for keeping him is that "we can't let the Republicans get power". Nobody is defending Davis, and many otherwise liberal Democrats (most of whom voted for Davis in the past) are indicating that they either won't vote for him again or that they'll skip the election entirely. Between his perceived corruption and the "caving" on the budget to the Republicans (particularly an issue on campus where we are now turning away new students), support for the man is lower than I've ever seen it. I DO NOT think he can win.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. Thanks for an informative post

one can't help but notice the lack of defenders rushing to Davis' side. (Unlike Pres. Clinton in '98) Makes a lot of sense that the unions are simply "protecting their investment".