Labor hits phones in anti-recall drive

RECALL NOTEBOOK

8/24/03

BY NORA K. WALLACE

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Local labor members will hit the phones today to urge Californians to oppose the recall of Gov. Gray Davis.

For now, members will deliver a simple "No on Recall" message in phone calls, with no indication of support for Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the only prominent Democrat running to replace the governor if he's axed.

The union workers will gather from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Building and Construction Trades room, 415 Chapala St., in Santa Barbara.

The group plans to meet every week until the Oct. 7 recall -- from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

"They're going to start them up all over the state," labor leader Steve Weiner said of the phone banks. "Ventura was the first one to get it up and going . . . We're kicking off these to save the governor. What did he do wrong?"

Organizers are trying to find a site for a Santa Maria phone bank.

Unions have typically backed Democratic candidates, and members are frequently called upon to volunteer -- making calls, walking precincts, holding rallies -- in state and federal campaigns on the Central Coast.

The California Labor Federation is having a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the recall and its role for the coming weeks, Mr. Weiner said.

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Campaign laughs: California's gubernatorial recall has prompted the creation of dozens of tongue-in-cheek Web sites -- from one promoting "Slappo the Clown" as a candidate to the latest by some enthusiasts of popular culture.

Web site creator Jean-Pierre McGarrigle and his friends were the "misguided slackers" behind a comedic site set-up during the Iraqi war called www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com. On that site, they lampooned Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, the public face of the Iraqi government, who made such pronouncements as: "There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never."

and, "Be assured. Baghdad is safe, protected."

Now the Web masters have directed their attention to Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger. On their www.welovearnold.com site, they note, "This site emerges from a cease-fire between two camps of Arnold-lovers: those who believe that his candidacy symbolizes the Death of the Republic and those who believe it is Really Cool. We agree only that it's irresistible."

The site, its creators say, is a look into the "socio-political megatrend" that merges politics and entertainment.

The site lists Mr. Schwarzenegger's quasi-endorsements and his favorite campaign gesture (thumbs up). They mock his campaign platform as a work in progress, noting the candidate so far is "Pro-kids, pro-jobs, anti-violence, pro-hope, anti-bad stuff, anti-Gary Coleman."

The site also has an extensive listing of snippets uttered by the Terminator on various subjects like gun control, women and taxes.

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Recall stories:

For a look at previous stories on the gubernatorial recall, log onto the News-Press Web page, www.newspress.com and look for the icon "Recall Report."

The site also contains a list of the gubernatorial candidates.