Today's hoot
Some pranksters grabbed the nodavisrecall.com domain name and put up Californians (Davis Cronies) Against the Costly Recall. There's lots of good japery, but I like the "Unofficial Ballot Statement". It starts out:

It has been my honor to serve my state and country for many years, as an Army Captain in Vietnam, State Controller, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and now as a robotic Gumby look-a-like attempting to save his job.

California voters are simple-minded. I trust them to believe every lie I tell. I believe I can con them into believing they are doing the right thing on October 7, because I have the utmost faith in the results achieved by my highly paid pollsters.

But back on the real recall election front - California Democrats Give Davis Two Weeks:

A new statewide Field Poll released Friday shows that 58 percent of Californian voters now favor recalling Democratic Gov. Gray Davis (search), a seven point increase over the last Field Poll in July.

The news sent Democrats across the state into panic and deepened disillusionment with Davis' continued demands that party donors and special interest groups stick with him in his drive to defeat the Oct. 7 recall.

"It's really, really bad for him," a top statewide Democratic strategist told Fox News. "Because he's been leaning on people all week saying polls showing him in trouble are wrong. Well, what's he going to say now when almost every newspaper in the state on Friday will carry this poll?"

The Field Poll says 58 percent of California voters support recalling Davis while 37 percent oppose the recall.

Er, maybe he can say they added up the numbers wrong? In any case:

Several top Democratic sources told Fox News that Davis has been warned that if he does not reverse his sagging poll numbers by Labor Day, the party will have to abandon him and put virtually all of its financial and political resources squarely behind Bustamante.

"He's been given about two weeks," a Democratic strategist familiar with the situation said. "Until then, the party will stick with the same strategy. If things don't change, a different assessment will be made."

But another top Democrat told Fox News that Davis may not have that long.

"I can't see big party players holding back much longer than next week," the source said. "But the problem is that running against a sitting governor is very difficult for donors and interest groups. Nobody is comfortable with it."

Well, no one wants the donors and interest groups not to be comfy. Except perhaps the electorate.