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CNN Live Today
California Recall
Aired August 13, 2003 - 10:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: California voters who plan on perusing every name on the recall ballot had better leave themselves plenty of time. One-hundred and thirty-one names have been certified, and the list may grow even bigger. Today we're expected to learn more about what that ballot will look like.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us now live from Los Angeles.
Hello to you, Bob.
Several pages, I imagine?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I would think so, depending on how large the pages are. They're going to probably have to accommodate somewhere around 145, 150 names by the time the ones who didn't do all of the necessary paperwork are wintered away. They had like 247 applicants or more, but there are a lot of them who didn't fill things out properly, or didn't come up with the money. About a dozen of those who did pay their $3,500, but for whatever reason were disqualified, are not getting the money back. It's like those cheap airline tickets -- it's nonrefundable. But they at least spent a couple of moments enjoying the fact they might be running for governor.
But there are going to be about 145, 150 before it's through. We expect an announcement today. Of course the interest in this has been generated largely by the appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a candidate in case Gray Davis is recalled from office. Well, he was appearing. He's been out of the limelight for the last couple of days, characterized as being in a series of meetings, meeting with the people setting up his staff, which resembles the staff of the old Governor Pete Wilson.
Meanwhile, the man who would be recalled and is trying very hard to fight it, Gray Davis, has been campaigning after quite a bit of consultation with another man who a faced another kind of recall. Bill Clinton, the former president, has been in frequent contact with Gray Davis, suggesting to him he pay little attention to the recall itself, and continue to make the message that he's the governor, he needs to stay in there, because of stability. Of course, many people in California are saying the kind of stability he brought is what brought California to the point that there is this recall effort going on at all -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Bob, we're also hearing a little bit about some changes in Arnold Schwarzenegger's staff, is that right? FRANKEN: The staff is being juggled around. Again, the influence of the former governor, Pete Wilson, is really quite obvious. Just about everybody who is now working with the Schwarzenegger campaign had connections with Governor Wilson. The reason that's important is that Wilson left behind quite a bit of controversy, particularly in the Hispanic community, which as you know, is a very formidable voting force out here.
COLLINS: All right, CNN's Bob Franken, keeping his eye on all things California. Thanks so much, Bob. We'll check back in later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 13, 2003 - 10:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: California voters who plan on perusing every name on the recall ballot had better leave themselves plenty of time. One-hundred and thirty-one names have been certified, and the list may grow even bigger. Today we're expected to learn more about what that ballot will look like.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us now live from Los Angeles.
Hello to you, Bob.
Several pages, I imagine?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I would think so, depending on how large the pages are. They're going to probably have to accommodate somewhere around 145, 150 names by the time the ones who didn't do all of the necessary paperwork are wintered away. They had like 247 applicants or more, but there are a lot of them who didn't fill things out properly, or didn't come up with the money. About a dozen of those who did pay their $3,500, but for whatever reason were disqualified, are not getting the money back. It's like those cheap airline tickets -- it's nonrefundable. But they at least spent a couple of moments enjoying the fact they might be running for governor.
But there are going to be about 145, 150 before it's through. We expect an announcement today. Of course the interest in this has been generated largely by the appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a candidate in case Gray Davis is recalled from office. Well, he was appearing. He's been out of the limelight for the last couple of days, characterized as being in a series of meetings, meeting with the people setting up his staff, which resembles the staff of the old Governor Pete Wilson.
Meanwhile, the man who would be recalled and is trying very hard to fight it, Gray Davis, has been campaigning after quite a bit of consultation with another man who a faced another kind of recall. Bill Clinton, the former president, has been in frequent contact with Gray Davis, suggesting to him he pay little attention to the recall itself, and continue to make the message that he's the governor, he needs to stay in there, because of stability. Of course, many people in California are saying the kind of stability he brought is what brought California to the point that there is this recall effort going on at all -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Bob, we're also hearing a little bit about some changes in Arnold Schwarzenegger's staff, is that right? FRANKEN: The staff is being juggled around. Again, the influence of the former governor, Pete Wilson, is really quite obvious. Just about everybody who is now working with the Schwarzenegger campaign had connections with Governor Wilson. The reason that's important is that Wilson left behind quite a bit of controversy, particularly in the Hispanic community, which as you know, is a very formidable voting force out here.
COLLINS: All right, CNN's Bob Franken, keeping his eye on all things California. Thanks so much, Bob. We'll check back in later.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
