Recall effort smells like political pollution

Too bad that this spring there's also a foul odor of Sacramento political pollution.

In a nutshell, the local state senator -- Republican Jeff Denham of Merced -- didn't vote for the state budget last summer. That contributed to a 52-day stalemate and angered the Senate leader, Democrat Don Perata of Oakland. So Perata now is trying to recall Denham.

Not just a payback, but the political death penalty.

Hiram Johnson would turn over in his coffin. The reform governor, about a century ago, gave Californians the initiative, referendum and recall. All were tools of democracy designed to provide ordinary citizens with the ability to fight Sacramento and special interests. The recall specifically was aimed at defrocking scalawags.

But the concept of direct democracy by aggrieved citizens -- if it ever was practiced -- has deteriorated into an instrument used by special interests to con voters into doing their bidding when elected representatives won't. The recall has evolved into a bludgeon to bully or bump off an elected official whose public policy actions another politician or faction doesn't like.

Too bad we can't recall Hiram Johnson.

Republicans -- ironically, given Denham's plight -- dusted off the recall and began this era of Capitol craziness 13 years ago when they recalled two GOP Assembly members for siding with Democrat Willie Brown in a speakership fight. They also recklessly attempted to recall a Democratic assemblyman.

Then Republicans had great fun five years ago recalling a Democratic governor. Voters elected an actor who promised to "end the crazy deficit spending." We booted a governor but didn't blot out the red ink.

That brings us back to Denham.

"My crime is that I wouldn't vote for an unbalanced budget," the senator says.

No other Republican would either, except one: Sen. Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria. At least two GOP votes were needed to attain the necessary two-thirds majority for budget passage. Finally, in the eighth week of gridlock, Senate GOP Leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine provided the second vote.