Recall hangover edition

As the dust settles at the Capitol over last week's failed attempt at amending the Illinois constitution to allow for the recall of public officials, here's some trivia about recall from the state that made it famous - California.

Misery loves company
From the California Secretary of State's Web site:
“Since the people added the power of the initiative, referendum and recall to the California Constitution in 1911, there have been 31 previous attempts to recall California Governors.”

Before the 2003 recall of then-Gov. Gray Davis, no previous attempt to recall a California governor had reached the ballot.

Familiar ring?
Here's the text from the 2003 recall petition advocating the removal of then-Gov. Gray Davis:
"The grounds for the recall are as follows: Gross mismanagement of California Finances by overspending taxpayers' money, threatening public safety by cutting funds to local governments, failing to account for the exorbitant cost of the energy fiasco, and failing in general to deal with the state's major problems until they get to the crisis stage. California should not have to be known as the state with poor schools, traffic jams, outrageous utility bills, and huge debts ... all caused by gross mismanagement.”