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CNN Live At Daybreak

California Recall: The Debate

Aired September 04, 2003 - 06:10   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In California now, candidates for governor were pumped up for their first debate, all except one pumped up candidate who wasn't there.
Our Rusty Dornin explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a little bit unusual for a debate format in that Governor Gray Davis took the stage first by himself. He did not want to be on the stage with any of the other candidates. He felt that he should be there by himself since he was defending his job.

He did say that the recall effort has been a humbling experience.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: There's no question there was a message and the message was that people are angry. I understand their lives are not going as well as they were a couple of years ago and I understand I am the brunt of their -- of their concern.

DORNIN: Now Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course, was not here. They even said they had saved a seat for the actor.

Now they took few potshots at him. However, Arianna Huffington took aim at just about everyone. This time it was at Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante for his proposed repeal of the car tax.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: I would get rid of it by raising alcohol and tobacco taxes.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Oh no you wouldn't.

BUSTAMANTE: Yes, I would.

HUFFINGTON: You got quite a bit of money from the tobacco industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Miss Huffington, please.

BUSTAMANTE: Well, yes, I also -- I also sued them, Arianna.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is entertaining, but it's not in our format.

DORNIN: Now this is one debate down and two to go. The next time, however, the candidates will receive the questions beforehand and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be here. And as some say, he'll have his script in hand.

Meantime, Schwarzenegger did make an appearance down in Southern California where he was egged by someone in the crowd. It glanced his shoulder. He did talk about it a little bit when he was on stage. This was his first official campaign speech since starting the recall campaign.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Rusty Dornin.

And that egging incident that she was talking about, well it took place as Arnold Schwarzenegger was making his way through a crowd and that was at Long Beach -- the Long Beach campus at California State University. But through it all, you know what, he had a sense of humor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: This guy owes me bacon now. I mean there's no two ways about it, because I mean you can't just have eggs without bacon. But this is just all part of you know the free speech.

They will see me in a debate. They will see me with all the other people. I will be available for that. In the meantime, I will be traveling up and down the state and this is what I am going to do. This is my plan to reach out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: No bacon, but maybe we can egg you on to watch "INSIDE POLITICS" today at 4:00 Eastern Time. Judy Woodruff will help you unscramble that messy mess in California.

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 September 4, 2003 - 06:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In California now, candidates for governor were pumped up for their first debate, all except one pumped up candidate who wasn't there.
Our Rusty Dornin explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a little bit unusual for a debate format in that Governor Gray Davis took the stage first by himself. He did not want to be on the stage with any of the other candidates. He felt that he should be there by himself since he was defending his job.

He did say that the recall effort has been a humbling experience.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: There's no question there was a message and the message was that people are angry. I understand their lives are not going as well as they were a couple of years ago and I understand I am the brunt of their -- of their concern.

DORNIN: Now Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course, was not here. They even said they had saved a seat for the actor.

Now they took few potshots at him. However, Arianna Huffington took aim at just about everyone. This time it was at Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante for his proposed repeal of the car tax.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: I would get rid of it by raising alcohol and tobacco taxes.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Oh no you wouldn't.

BUSTAMANTE: Yes, I would.

HUFFINGTON: You got quite a bit of money from the tobacco industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Miss Huffington, please.

BUSTAMANTE: Well, yes, I also -- I also sued them, Arianna.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is entertaining, but it's not in our format.

DORNIN: Now this is one debate down and two to go. The next time, however, the candidates will receive the questions beforehand and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be here. And as some say, he'll have his script in hand.

Meantime, Schwarzenegger did make an appearance down in Southern California where he was egged by someone in the crowd. It glanced his shoulder. He did talk about it a little bit when he was on stage. This was his first official campaign speech since starting the recall campaign.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Rusty Dornin.

And that egging incident that she was talking about, well it took place as Arnold Schwarzenegger was making his way through a crowd and that was at Long Beach -- the Long Beach campus at California State University. But through it all, you know what, he had a sense of humor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: This guy owes me bacon now. I mean there's no two ways about it, because I mean you can't just have eggs without bacon. But this is just all part of you know the free speech.

They will see me in a debate. They will see me with all the other people. I will be available for that. In the meantime, I will be traveling up and down the state and this is what I am going to do. This is my plan to reach out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: No bacon, but maybe we can egg you on to watch "INSIDE POLITICS" today at 4:00 Eastern Time. Judy Woodruff will help you unscramble that messy mess in California.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com