Now That Senator Jeff Denham’s Recall Election is Set for June 3—Some Things We Shouldn’t Forget

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Paul Hefner

Responding to recall petitions signed by more than 60,000 voters, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has formally set the date of the Jeff Denham recall for June 3.

Let’s get something straight about politics and California’s budget: it was Republicans who made voting on the budget a career-ender.

In 2001, the last time a significant number of Republicans broke ranks and voted with Democrats to pass the budget, they were targeted at turncoats and run out of town:

Remember Mike Briggs?

Threatened with a primary challenge, Briggs didn’t seek a third term in the Assembly for his Fresno-area seat. He lost a Congressional primary for the seat now held by Rep. Devin Nunes.

Remember Anthony Pescetti?

The Sacramento Bee famously portrayed him as a prostitute on the stroll following his budget vote. With Republicans promising to challenge him in the primary, he too chose not to run for a third term.

Remember Dick Dickerson?

Then Senate Minority Leader Jim Brulte took special pains to carve Dickerson out of the 2001 redistricting following his budget vote. It worked. Dickerson lost his bid for a Senate seat.

The pundits in the press corps are rising to the defense of Jeff Denham. Sure, he lied to the people who elected him – about the budget, about supporting schools and even about his paycheck – but such failings are insufficient grounds for a recall, we’re told.

The fact that the voters in his district – thousands of whom signed recall petitions – seem to have a different view doesn’t carry much weight. And no one bothers to mention that all Democrats are doing is listening to voters – and leveling the playing field.

The press can afford to forget that the GOP’s standard operating procedure is to end the career of anyone who dares to agree with most Californians that the way to balance the budget is with a combination of spending cuts and temporary tax increases: you can bet no Republican has.

Paul Hefner is a Democratic campaign consultant and spokesperson for the Dump Denham Recall campaign.