How concerned is California Governor Gavin Newsom that the current recall effort will qualify for the ballot? So concerned that he brought in the man who trounced all opponents in the state’s Democrat Presidential Primary in 2020 to denounce the recall as an “extremist Republican” effort to undermine democracy – never mind that the “extremist” label was tried two months ago and failed to make a dent in the recall’s support.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tweeted his denunciation Monday morning – after news that recall proponents have gathered nearly 2 million signatures on the recall petitions broke, claiming that those terrible extremists want to recall Newsom “for the crime of telling people to wear masks and for listening to scientists during COVID,” adding that “We must all unite to oppose the recall.”

Right-wing Republicans in CA are trying to recall @GavinNewsom for the crime of telling people to wear masks and for listening to scientists during COVID. Extremist Republicans have done enough to undermine democracy already. We must all unite to oppose the recall in California.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 8, 2021

Come on, Bernie. We’re all so sick of these sweeping generalizations. If you’d paid attention for more than half a second, you’d know that Gavin Newsom has ignored scientists “during COVID” and that Californians have a (French?) laundry list of grievances with His HairGelness.

And, what does Sanders mean about needing to unite? Who needs to unite? According to the California Secretary of State’s records, 46 percent of the state’s voters are registered Democrat, 24 percent are registered Republican, and 24 percent are No Party Preference. So if it were just a Republican effort, it wouldn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of success. Could it be that it’s not just Republicans supporting the recall?

Yep! As California Globe’s Katy Grimes tweeted in reply to Sanders, in a survey of 20,000 recall signers, 31.5 percent of them identified as “other” than Republican.

The RecallGavin2020 campaign did a survey of 20,000 of recall signers and found more than 31% were “other” than Republican. https://t.co/mkWJXq4kn9

— Katy Grimes (@KATYSaccitizen) March 8, 2021

Lots of Californians took umbrage at Sanders’ description of the reason for the recall.

The F we are. From the train to nowhere to the Sacramento Delta to the stolen land of farmers. Some of us are just pissed.

— 🍀 Forty days & Forty nights 🍀 (@Sangria1992) March 8, 2021

Lisa Rothstein, a California-based writer who’s become an anti-AB5, anti-PROAct, pro right-to-work activist over the last year, pointed out additional reasons.

No but for the crimes of flouting his own lockdown laws to dine out w/ lobbyists, presiding over the US’s worst homeless crisis turning LA &SF into literal sh*tholes, a shady $1B PPE deal with China, kowtowing to teachers’ union at the expense of kids & killing #freelance w#AB5

— Lisa Rothstein #NOPROAct #RepealAB5 4 #Freelancers (@davincidiva) March 8, 2021

And let’s not forget the California EDD debacle, which Newsom and the Legislature haven’t even really addressed at all.

Sure, Bernie, sure. It’s all about the masks, right?

CA EDD admits paying as much as $31 billion in unemployment funds to criminalshttps://t.co/DLpH022YVi

Meanwhile, lots of hardworking Californians who paid into the system can’t get any money from it.

— Soquel by the Creek (@SoquelCreek) March 8, 2021

And hey, doesn’t Bernie want those kiddos being indoctrinated all day long in school? Well, it’s not happening in California these days.

I thought you wanted free education for all. Well, here in California our children have been stripped of their education. ALL grades.

No, distance learning is not a viable substitute, and yes, this will cause lifelong implications.

— Beatrice Cardenas (@RealBetyCardens) March 8, 2021

Plus, a recall election is a prime example of direct democracy, of the workers making their voices heard. Why would Bernie be against that?

So, a citizen-driven movement using a procedure devised by progressives over 100 years ago is “undermining democracy?” Only to a USSR-loving Socialist. And “extremist Republicans?” Bernie, you don’t know California. #RecallGavinNewsom

— Phineas Fahrquar (@irishspy) March 8, 2021

Let’s not forget the tens of thousands of small businesses destroyed for no reason.

Thanks for letting us know that King Gavin really IS worried about the recall, Bernie!

BTW, his crimes include declaring himself king based in a lie, destroying tens of thousands of small businesses for no reason & keeping our kids out of school for an entire year.#RecallNewsom

— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) March 8, 2021

In other words, Bernie, stay in your lane. Please and thank you.