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Posted on 06/22/2003 8:50:09 PM PDT by Pokey78
WASHINGTON
Voters of Venezuela and California have this in common: a growing number of disgusted voters are determined to upset, through referendum, the election of their chief executive.
Neither President Hugo Chávez nor Gov. Gray Davis has committed an impeachable crime. But both men's popularity has plummeted as a result of a sloppy or mismanaged economy, many voters' sense of betrayal and in Chávez's case, ever-deepening division among the electorate.
Is "recall" of a leader — elected by a majority for a fixed term but supported only by a minority — a good idea? Or should voters stare decisively at election returns and wait for retribution on a regular schedule?
First consider oil-rich Venezuela, long run by a corrupt oligarchy. Chávez and his populist party rode in on a wave of reform, captured the National Assembly and started packing the courts. His reach for greater power led to strikes, riots, capital flight, an abortive coup and, despite high world oil prices, an economy nose-diving by 10 percent a year.
Chávez is an ardent admirer of Fidel Castro. Like the Cuban dictator, he intimidates those who dare to oppose, encouraging violent attacks on his critics by thuggish supporters.
In a deal to permit re-election, he agreed to a referendum on his rule. But now Chávez is throwing up procedural roadblocks. His party is denying the National Assembly a quorum (an old Texas trick). Chávez is resisting a recall vote because he presumes that if the referendum to oust him succeeds, his currently divided opposition will unite against him in the election to follow.
California's governor, Gray Davis, though not a Castro follower, is in a similar position. Last year, as Republicans were about to choose a strong candidate in a primary to oppose him, he poured millions into TV advertising to tear down Mayor Richard Riordan of Los Angeles; when a weaker Republican candidate won, Democrat Davis easily defeated him. Picking one's opposition, though unprecedented, was considered a nifty trick.
Not so nifty was Davis's failure to disclose a looming huge deficit, necessitating nearly $40 billion in budget cuts or tax increases. Now that his heavy-spending chickens are coming home to roost, a bipartisan he-lied-to-us crowd is out in force and his approval rating is in the low 20's.
Seizing on what has been aptly called "voter remorse," the wealthy Republican Representative Darrell Issa is financing a recall campaign to dump the term-limited Davis. Bettors on the left coast tell me that with enough money, a million signatures could be collected in initiative-happy California to indict a ham sandwich (on whole wheat toast, of course, with alfalfa sprouts). If enough voters are egged on by TV advertising, talk-showboating and Weblog fury, the governor's recall will be on the ballot along with a separate list of potential successors.
Speculation centers on G.O.P. opponents like Issa, Riordan, previous opponent Bill Simon and "Arnold" (whose last name, Schwarzenegger, is too long for headline writers but somehow fits on a movie marquee). Democratic candidates such as Senator Dianne Feinstein are too shy to come forward lest they be considered backstabbers.
Thus, if Davis is afflicted with total recall, a replacement with as little as 15 percent of the total vote could be the next California governor. Is this any way to run a state as large as Iraq, to reverse a favored comparison?
With the world's fifth-largest economy and the world's fifth-largest oil exporter both in such a fix, a pundit should take a consistent stand. Thus:
Venezuelans should be given their right to oust their power-expanding president, because Chávez would then have the right to run in a subsequent race against the choice of the opposition. If that bunch cannot unite, they deserve their Castroite bully.
But Californians should suffer Gray Davis for three more years, voting like grown-ups not as penance for their mistake last year, but to uphold the principle that election results are final for a fixed term and officeholders should not be removed merely when ratings fall.
Wait — is it inconsistent to root for ouster of Chávez while espousing the retention of Davis? Walt Whitman: "Very well then I am inconsistent." Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. . . . With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do."
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Ridiculous. Riordan was unacceptable regardless of Davis' tactics. The RINOS flatter the Dems altogether too much.
Cram it NY times.
If this were a Republican governor they would be singing a whole different song.
Stay tuned for a little democracy in action.
Terrorism's Western Ally***U.S. intelligence is still coming to grips with reports that Al Qaeda and other Muslim terrorist groups are setting up bases in Venezuela. A London newspaper reports Osama bin Laden has established a training camp on Venezuela's Margarita Island, a tourist destination that also has an Arab-Muslim community and a bad reputation as a hangout for smugglers and terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
The more you know about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and his list of friends, the less surprising this all seems. Footage shows Hugo hugging Iranian President Khatami. More footage shows Hugo hugging Libya's Moammar Gaddafy. By the way, you won't find any video of Hugo meeting, much less, hugging George W. Bush.
But Chavez has met with Saddam Hussein. In fact, he was the first foreign leader to visit Baghdad after the first Gulf War, and he expressed his admiration for Saddam. He has offered support to convicted terrorist Carlos "The Jackal." He considers Fidel Castro his mentor. He gives sanctuary to Colombia's FARC rebels, a group that is trying to overthrow the Colombian government and has also killed Americans.
Hugo Chavez came to power by tapping into frustration over Venezuela's corrupt political system. He was elected in 1998 by a landslide. Since then, Chavez has been engaged in what has been called a "slow-motion constitutional coup." He has abolished the senate, brought in Cubans as strike-breakers against the oil industry, and organized gangs to beat up opponents.***
I don't know about Chavez, but Gray Davis definitely has committed impeachable crimes. The protective legislature will not impeach Davis, although a few members initially wanted to investigate the Oracle bribery deal.
Assemblyman Dean Florez (D), lost his committee seat because he continued leading the investigation despite warnings from Speaker Herb Wesson (D); afterwards, Florez was no longer able to call the hearings. The Attorney General also failed to investigate, and he failed to recuse himself despite his conflict of interest (from also having accepted an Oracle bribe). Obviously, the investigation has ceased.
No, Davis was not impeached, but he may very well have committed impeachable offenses.
That last part is closer to the truth, but to call him a populist rather than a Marxist is so intellectually insulting I wonder what William Safire's motivations are.
Gray Davis, though not a Castro follower, is in a similar position. Last year, as Republicans were about to choose a strong candidate in a primary to oppose him
Wrong, Rioden's liberal tendancies simply would not have drummed up the vote from all counties other than San Fran and LA's "Republicans". I think we've found the answer people, somebody is still sad their RINO candidate didn't get the nomination and want to quash the recall.
Seizing on what has been aptly called "voter remorse," the wealthy Republican Representative Darrell Issa
Straight out of the DNC talking points. Man I hate RINO Republicans like Safire, they dither and stab you in the back in a heartbeat.
and Weblog fury
This is a slap at you reading this right now, FReeper. Why don't you just shut up and let elitist RINOs like Safire keep things stable?
But Californians should suffer Gray Davis for three more years, voting like grown-ups not as penance for their mistake last year
Since I voted for Simon, I will send and official looking bill to Safire for the difference in both state and state sales tax. What a pretentious jerk. Way to prove my "elitist" comment true Bill.
With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do."
What does Emerson say about pretentious, arrogant uninformed opinions, can you name drop what he said about those people?
I will never respect another article written by William Safire.
I kept hearing last week and earlier that the Secretary of State was to release his monthly report about the Recall numbers today. So far, I haven't heard and can't find any news reports with the new official numbers.
Davis says he's not resigning, according to CNN.
"I'm not going to retreat," Davis, a Democrat, vowed in an interview with CNN's "Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics."
....
Asked specifically if he would step aside if the recall effort reached the ballot, Davis replied "absolutely not."
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