since this california recall thing has become such a total unqualified success--it certainly hasn't made the state a joke or anything--republicans in other states now also want to get into the act. in nevada, they have started a recall effort. but at least that state has a recall procedure in its constitution. pennsylvania does not. but that has not stopped a group of pennsylvania republicans who announced they will draft legislation to create a recall procedure to recall governor rendell. why let california hog the nations mockery?
unlike in california, where davis is not liked by many, rendell is genuinely popular in this state, or at least parts of it (mostly the philadelphia region). he used to be the mayor of philadelphia and is largely considered to be one of the best mayors of that city ever had (though it did not hurt that he followed two of the worst mayors in the city's history). but the california recall vote has lowered the bar considerably for what justifies a recall. my understanding is that the recall procedure was originally conceived to be a sort of "people's impeachment." in other words, if the governor does some crime that deserves removal, the people themselves can do so in a referendum. in california right now i have not heard anyone identify any impeachable offense that justifies davis' recall. the pro-recall people seem to be pro-recall just because they don't like the guy. the recall provisions in that state set the bar so low for triggering a recall election that no one really had to resort to anything like that. it doesn't say he has to be guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, they just need a bunch of signatures. they are attempting to recall davis because they hate him. it's just that simple.
this pennsylvania effort, it seems, would lower the bar even further. stephen miskin, a spokesperson for the pennsylvania republicans who are pushing for the creation of a recall procedure here explained why governor rendell deserves to be recalled as follows:
" The problem with Governor Rendell is his efforts to advance his agenda."
obviously rendell should be advancing the republican's agenda instead.
the pennsylvania effort is particularly stupid because governor rendell is almost certain to veto any recall-establishing procedure that reaches his desk. but maybe proponents have not thought of that. apparently it has also never occurred to them that if they create a recall procedure, that same procedure could be used to knock out a republican governor some day. i mean, presumably these guys think that they might actually get the governorship at some point, right?
this whole thing reminds me of the "line item veto." remember that? it was a darling of the republican party for much of the reagan-bush (the first) era, i.e. when the republican party believed it would control the presidency forever. the pro-line item veto position survived the first two years of the clinton era--it made it into the "contract for america." in fact, it was the only part of the "contract for america" that clinton warmly embraced. it was only then that it dawned on the dim-witted proponents that a line item veto will give more power to the president whoever it is, even (gasp) their political opponents if they happen to hold the office. after that, it was quietly dropped. no one talks about the line item veto much anymore, even now that the republican party has regained control of the white house. eventually perhaps, it will occur to miskin and his ilk that a recall procedure can be used against their people too.
(the links to the nevada and pennsylvania recall efforts via atrios)
