Our view: Issa's cash crutch for electoral college initiative a risky investment - for us

If there's anything more potentially dangerous than a man with limitless ambition, it's a man with limitless ambition and a bottomless bank account. Enter Darrell Issa. The congressman from Vista recently breathed new life into a floundering movement to change the way California divvies up its Electoral College votes.

It appears Issa hasn't learned his lesson from bankrolling the 2003 recall of California's governor: Pulling apart the levers of democracy for short-term gains may seem like a good idea, but, as they say in the commercials, results may vary. Widely. The effort could backfire on California Republicans, and there's nothing "conservative" about Issa's assault on a key legacy of this country's founding fathers.

Issa is an intelligent person, a very successful businessman and a fine congressman. He has earned wide respect for his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. That would be enough for most people.

But we know Issa has his sights set higher. In 1998, he spent $10 million of his own money on a quixotic attempt to unseat U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. In 2003, he chipped in another $1.7 million of his own money on an equally improbable attempt to become governor by financing the recall of Gov. Gray Davis; Issa backed out when Arnold Schwarzenegger injected himself into the race.

Issa's latest attempt to buy political muscle came in the form of a $50,000 donation to a campaign to change the way Electoral College votes are divided in California. The effort had stalled under its own lack of momentum until Issa intervened last week. He is now encouraging other GOP high-rollers to ante up and has made his extensive mailing lists, left over from the recall, available to the effort.

The Electoral College is that odd mechanism in our Constitution by which we elect presidents. Each state's Electoral College votes equal the number of seats it has in the U.S. Congress. California, with 53 representatives and two senators, has more Electoral College votes than any other state. Those votes are awarded on a winner-take-all basis.

Under the proposal being circulated by state Republicans, the statewide winner would get two of those 55 votes and the rest would be divided based on which candidate won in each of the state's 53 congressional districts.

Honorable people may disagree about the merits of the Electoral College, but this Republican effort to undermine a bedrock of our republic is all wrong.

First off, California's gerrymandered congressional districts are hardly the place one should start on the high road to electoral reform. Districts drawn by incumbent politicians to protect their constituencies are an affront to good governance, much less democracy, and the evidence is entrenched in Sacramento.

What's more, the 2003 recall Republicans boast about hasn't exactly delivered on its promises - not with our state deficit still spiraling out of control and Gov. Schwarzenegger spending at a faster clip than the governor he ousted. Before they ask voters to back another electoral shortcut, the state GOP, and Issa in particular, should provide us with something more than a bill of goods.

Why are Republicans, self-proclaimed guardians of our founders' intentions, seeking to tamper with long-standing U.S. election tradition? What's conservative about that?

Granted, two other states reward electoral votes by congressional district. But blatantly manipulating the Electoral College to achieve a desired short-term result opens the door to other "reforms" that conservatives would regret when they're out of power. The GOP could pick up electoral votes in California, but if other states follow our lead, lose votes in the South and Midwest. Live by the cheap political stunt, die by the cheap political stunt.

Issa says he's only interested in making California relevant in next year's presidential campaign. As a loyal party man, however, Issa can't help but notice that this proposed change would grease the wheels for a Republican to get elected president next year. Issa may be counting on gaining new clout as a kingmaker to solidify control over the state party and run for governor or senator again. Who knows, maybe he could squeeze an ambassadorship or cabinet seat out of a Republican president in 2008.

It's not clear that upending the way we dole out Electoral College votes is good for California, or the Republican Party, for that matter. But Darrell Issa seems to believe it will work out just dandy for him.

Stick to voting on our behalf, Mr. Issa; your political donations cost us too much.