Proposition 54, Ward Connerly's initiative to restrict the government use and classification of racial or ethnic information, will share the Oct. 7 ballot with the recall, and you could imagine that the close proximity might make certain candidates edgy.
A guy like Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, for example, probably wouldn't want his supporters pondering a connection between him and Connerly, whose anti-affirmative action Proposition 209 infuriated Democrats -- Bustamante's base.
So now it may seem particularly astute that Bustamante took steps last year to uncouple himself from Connerly, three years after accepting a $2,000 campaign contribution from him.
In an interview, Connerly said he donated the money in May 1999, at the request of a Sacramento developer and fund-raiser, to help retire Bustamante's 1998 campaign debt.
But last year, as he was running for reelection, Bustamante returned the check, sans interest, Connerly said.
"I thought it was a little silly to return the check," he said, adding that Bustamante was "in campaign mode, no doubt about it."
Elena Stern, spokeswoman for the No on 54 campaign, said the lieutenant governor is "a passionate opponent" of Connerly's latest initiative.
But she was taken aback when asked about Bustamante's initial decision to accept Connerly's money, calling it "curious."
Green Party Solidly Backs Camejo
Green Party representatives from counties around the state threw their support Thursday behind Peter Camejo, the Green candidate with the best name recognition and arguably the best shot at capturing voters' attention in the coming months.
By late afternoon, about 85% of the county representatives had responded by phone or e-mail with their endorsements, and of those, 89% had endorsed Camejo, said state Green Party spokesman Ross Mirkarimi.
Camejo -- who won 5% of the statewide vote in his bid for governor last fall -- won the nod over three other Green Party candidates who will also be listed on the ballot.
"It's no big surprise but it's official," Mirkarimi said.
"Now we can start moving forward as one big unit."
In other Green news, Mirkarimi confirmed that the pastry flung at consumer advocate Ralph Nader on Tuesday as he sat by Camejo's side was a cake -- not a pie, as earlier reported.
The cake appeared store-bought, he said, more evidence that it was not likely the handiwork of a frustrated Green competitor.
