Posted: August 21, 2003 at 12:50 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- California's congressional Democrats endorsed Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante's motto of "No on recall, yes on Bustamante" on Thursday, effectively rejecting the initial anti-recall strategy of Gov. Gray Davis, who sought to unite the party behind a Davis-or-nobody message.
"We strongly oppose the recall, but if California voters make a different choice, then Lt. Governor Bustamante is the appropriate person to assume the office," U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren said after she and other Democratic representatives nailed down the endorsement in a conference call Thursday.
"We believe that whenever there is an election, Californians should always cast their vote," said the statement from Lofgren, chairwoman of the state's delegation of 33 Democratic representatives.
Lofgren, of San Jose, said Californians had an election less than a year ago, and picked Davis, but now Republicans want to reverse the results, costing the state millions of dollars.
She called Bustamante highly qualified to lead the state should a vacancy occur.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
