Surrounded by noisy confrontations Wednesday between pro- and anti-recall forces, allies of Gov. Gray Davis announced a campaign to raise up to $4 million to keep his proposed removal off the ballot.

Dan Terry, president of the California Professional Firefighters, made the announcement at a Sacramento fire station, calling a Republican-led recall drive "sour grapes.' He said it could cost taxpayers $40 million "for a rerun of an election held just seven months ago.'

Terry announced that Steve Smith, the governor's secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, will take a leave of absence to run the campaign.

Wednesday's news conference represented the first public indication that Davis and allies are taking the recall drive seriously. Among approximately 100 supporters were union members representing firefighters, iron workers, painters, janitors, carpenters and electrical workers.

At least 25 pro-recall supporters attempted to disrupt the event.

Terry said the campaign would spend "at a minimum, one to four million dollars to make sure this nonsense doesn't reach the ballot.'

Republican strategist Sal Russo said afterward the announcement only helps a potential recall against Davis, elected last November to a second four-year term.

"The more attention the recall gets, the easier it is to get signatures,' he said. The group needs 897,158 signatures by Sept. 2 to put the recall on the ballot. This week, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley reported receiving 18,590 signatures.