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CNN Live Sunday
Republican Candidate Bill Simon Starts Negative Blitz Against Arnold Schwarzenegger
Aired August 17, 2003 - 18:00 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: But we're starting with the California recall, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is a big enough target that the political attacks are coming from both the left and the right. Miguel Marquez is in Los Angeles to explain to us who exactly is on the attack. Miguel, good evening.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think by the time this is over it, will be everybody. Good evening to you Andrea -- there are some interesting things out here.
Some of the lesser known candidates in the recall effort are taking on Arnold Schwarzenegger from his right flank. Republicans Bill Simon and Tom McClintock argue they are the choice for real conservatives. Today on "Meet the Press" Bill Simon, who lost to Gray Davis last November, puts an ideological light between himself and front runner Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL SIMON, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: It's good to hear about some of the stances that Arnold has, for example, he is pro abortion. I'm not. I'm prolife. But the bottom line, again, is this. We need plans to fix California. We need to hear about Mr. Schwarzenegger's ideas in a broad variety of areas. I want to shrink the size of government. Mr. Schwarzenegger surrounded himself with liberals in terms of spending. Mr. Buffett said last week, his chief economic spokesman, he thinks the property tax is too low. I don't think it is too low.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Mr. Schwarzenegger's campaign staff says he has always supported a woman's right to choose. He is not surrounded by economic liberals, and he supports keeping California property taxes just where they are. Schwarzenegger's campaign also says what such remarks are all about is Bill Simon and Tom McClintock jockeying for third place. And it appears that jockeying may get a little muddy and more difficult.
This just in from the Bill Simon campaign an ad blitz he's taking out knocking Arnold Schwarzenegger, calling on Californians not to send a liberal to Sacramento. Now this is starting to look like a campaign.
Other action on the campaign trail, Peter Ueberroth, the businessman Republican, has given his campaign a million of his own bucks and says his bid will kick into gear on Tuesday. Arianna Huffington, an independent, is speaking at a Greek festival today and her staff says she'll have a full week of campaign events ahead.
So the various campaigns take shape, there may be yet one more curveball in this loop de loop recall, the whole thing could be put off until next March or longer. Tomorrow a federal judge will hear an argument from the ACLU who wants the October 7 election stopped until all of the old punch card voting machines are replaced.
Is this going to happen? Possibly. The ACLU in the six counties that use the punch card machines had previously entered into an agreement to replace the machines by March, 2004. That was supposed to be the next statewide election until the recall upstaged everything -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Miguel, just getting back to your earlier point about Mr. Simon, he had said in one of his interviews earlier today that he was under no pressure from the Republican party to withdraw. What are you hearing?
MARQUEZ: Well, we've certainly heard that all of the Republicans, Ueberroth, Simon and Mr. McClintock had some pressure put on them. Mr. Simon said that that wasn't the case today and it appears that he is in this thing for the long haul.
Mr. Ueberroth has already said that he was in this thing all the way to the end no matter what. So it looks like if there's pressure they're not going to bend.
The other thing is this fax that we just got from Mr. Simon's campaign saying they're taking out the radio blitz against Mr. Schwarzenegger saying don't send a liberal to Sacramento. So I think they'll get quite interesting before they get less interesting, Andrea.
KOPPEL: That's right. And as you mentioned it could go on all the way until March depending upon what that judge decides.
Miguel, Marquez in L.a., thanks for joining us.
MARQUEZ: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Against Arnold Schwarzenegger>
Aired August 17, 2003 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: But we're starting with the California recall, where Arnold Schwarzenegger is a big enough target that the political attacks are coming from both the left and the right. Miguel Marquez is in Los Angeles to explain to us who exactly is on the attack. Miguel, good evening.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think by the time this is over it, will be everybody. Good evening to you Andrea -- there are some interesting things out here.
Some of the lesser known candidates in the recall effort are taking on Arnold Schwarzenegger from his right flank. Republicans Bill Simon and Tom McClintock argue they are the choice for real conservatives. Today on "Meet the Press" Bill Simon, who lost to Gray Davis last November, puts an ideological light between himself and front runner Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL SIMON, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: It's good to hear about some of the stances that Arnold has, for example, he is pro abortion. I'm not. I'm prolife. But the bottom line, again, is this. We need plans to fix California. We need to hear about Mr. Schwarzenegger's ideas in a broad variety of areas. I want to shrink the size of government. Mr. Schwarzenegger surrounded himself with liberals in terms of spending. Mr. Buffett said last week, his chief economic spokesman, he thinks the property tax is too low. I don't think it is too low.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Mr. Schwarzenegger's campaign staff says he has always supported a woman's right to choose. He is not surrounded by economic liberals, and he supports keeping California property taxes just where they are. Schwarzenegger's campaign also says what such remarks are all about is Bill Simon and Tom McClintock jockeying for third place. And it appears that jockeying may get a little muddy and more difficult.
This just in from the Bill Simon campaign an ad blitz he's taking out knocking Arnold Schwarzenegger, calling on Californians not to send a liberal to Sacramento. Now this is starting to look like a campaign.
Other action on the campaign trail, Peter Ueberroth, the businessman Republican, has given his campaign a million of his own bucks and says his bid will kick into gear on Tuesday. Arianna Huffington, an independent, is speaking at a Greek festival today and her staff says she'll have a full week of campaign events ahead.
So the various campaigns take shape, there may be yet one more curveball in this loop de loop recall, the whole thing could be put off until next March or longer. Tomorrow a federal judge will hear an argument from the ACLU who wants the October 7 election stopped until all of the old punch card voting machines are replaced.
Is this going to happen? Possibly. The ACLU in the six counties that use the punch card machines had previously entered into an agreement to replace the machines by March, 2004. That was supposed to be the next statewide election until the recall upstaged everything -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Miguel, just getting back to your earlier point about Mr. Simon, he had said in one of his interviews earlier today that he was under no pressure from the Republican party to withdraw. What are you hearing?
MARQUEZ: Well, we've certainly heard that all of the Republicans, Ueberroth, Simon and Mr. McClintock had some pressure put on them. Mr. Simon said that that wasn't the case today and it appears that he is in this thing for the long haul.
Mr. Ueberroth has already said that he was in this thing all the way to the end no matter what. So it looks like if there's pressure they're not going to bend.
The other thing is this fax that we just got from Mr. Simon's campaign saying they're taking out the radio blitz against Mr. Schwarzenegger saying don't send a liberal to Sacramento. So I think they'll get quite interesting before they get less interesting, Andrea.
KOPPEL: That's right. And as you mentioned it could go on all the way until March depending upon what that judge decides.
Miguel, Marquez in L.a., thanks for joining us.
MARQUEZ: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Against Arnold Schwarzenegger>
