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CNN Live Today
California Recall
Aired August 22, 2003 - 10:37 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time to check in now on the California recall and the latest developments there. Many Democrats in the state are now pushing a new slogan. Vote no on the recall, but yes to Bustamante. Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, he's the only major Democrat on the ballot, and he's getting a lot of key support now.
Our Bob Franken takes a look at the changing California recall race this morning.
Hello, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
And it's a case today for the Democrats of we've got bad news and we've got bad news. First, the bad news. The polls show that Arnold Schwarzenegger is now a little bit ahead of Cruz Bustamante in questioning that was done of likely voters. Schwarzenegger 23 percent, Bustamante 18 percent. That's a bit of a reversal from a poll of last week, which showed just about the same margin in favor of Bustamante.
The same polls show that 58 percent of the likely vote would vote for the recall. Included in that, and this is really ominous for the Democrat, 40 percent of the Democrats say they would be for the recall, which would probably explain why the 33 members of the congressional delegation for Democrats held a conference call yesterday, and then the leader of that delegation, the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, came out and said, in effect, they're going to hedge their bets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: We strongly oppose the recall, but if California voters make a different choice, then Lieutenant Governor Bustamante is the appropriate person to assume that office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Bad idea, said the other leading Democrat in the state, Senator Dianne Feinstein. She was at an event yesterday with Governor Davis, was an assault weapons event, trying to get a renewal of the assault weapons ban in Congress, but of course, the conversation did turn to recall, and Feinstein said she was only going to vote once.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I am not going to vote on the second part of the ballot. I am going to vote on the first part of the ballot, and my vote is going to be to vote no on the recall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: The Democrats aren't the only ones with complications. Schwarzenegger is so close, many of the Republicans feel, because he has other Republicans taking some of his votes, namely Simon and McClintock. There's some pressure, we're told, on the latter two to switch, to get out of the race, to make a clear field for Schwarzenegger. So far. no takers -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. And it only gets more and more interesting each day out there.
Thanks, Bob. Have a good weekend. We'll see you 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 22, 2003 - 10:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time to check in now on the California recall and the latest developments there. Many Democrats in the state are now pushing a new slogan. Vote no on the recall, but yes to Bustamante. Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, he's the only major Democrat on the ballot, and he's getting a lot of key support now.
Our Bob Franken takes a look at the changing California recall race this morning.
Hello, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.
And it's a case today for the Democrats of we've got bad news and we've got bad news. First, the bad news. The polls show that Arnold Schwarzenegger is now a little bit ahead of Cruz Bustamante in questioning that was done of likely voters. Schwarzenegger 23 percent, Bustamante 18 percent. That's a bit of a reversal from a poll of last week, which showed just about the same margin in favor of Bustamante.
The same polls show that 58 percent of the likely vote would vote for the recall. Included in that, and this is really ominous for the Democrat, 40 percent of the Democrats say they would be for the recall, which would probably explain why the 33 members of the congressional delegation for Democrats held a conference call yesterday, and then the leader of that delegation, the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, came out and said, in effect, they're going to hedge their bets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: We strongly oppose the recall, but if California voters make a different choice, then Lieutenant Governor Bustamante is the appropriate person to assume that office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Bad idea, said the other leading Democrat in the state, Senator Dianne Feinstein. She was at an event yesterday with Governor Davis, was an assault weapons event, trying to get a renewal of the assault weapons ban in Congress, but of course, the conversation did turn to recall, and Feinstein said she was only going to vote once.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I am not going to vote on the second part of the ballot. I am going to vote on the first part of the ballot, and my vote is going to be to vote no on the recall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: The Democrats aren't the only ones with complications. Schwarzenegger is so close, many of the Republicans feel, because he has other Republicans taking some of his votes, namely Simon and McClintock. There's some pressure, we're told, on the latter two to switch, to get out of the race, to make a clear field for Schwarzenegger. So far. no takers -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, good deal. And it only gets more and more interesting each day out there.
Thanks, Bob. Have a good weekend. We'll see you 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
