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American Morning
Politics of the Mexican Independence Day Parade
Aired September 08, 2003 - 07:23 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: Arnold Schwarzenegger was invited to lead the Mexican Independence Day Parade yesterday in Los Angeles. But that invitation was suddenly withdrawn on Friday, the same day that Governor Gray Davis signed a bill allowing illegal immigrants the rights to hold drivers' licenses.
Miguel Marquez takes a look at the politics of the parade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Everyone loves a parade, but not just anyone can march in one.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Politicians got involved and they disinvited me. It has nothing to do about anything. It has to do with that they want to win.
MARQUEZ: They are Gray Davis's supporters, says Schwarzenegger, who kept him from participating in the Mexican Independence Day Parade. Davis says he did nothing of the sort and besides, Schwarzenegger may have not been very welcome.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I don't think that recognizes California is changing and how we all depend on the hard work of all the people who live here, citizens and immigrants alike.
MARQUEZ: And the man who put the parade together says Schwarzenegger was invited to be grand marshal, but the invitation wasn't official. Schwarzenegger says he then applied to march in the parade, but that, too, was turned down.
DAVID BENITEZ, PARADE CHAIRMAN: Never. Never. We never received an official application by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
MARQUEZ: And Arnold Schwarzenegger has another problem. Cruz Bustamante is driving home the point that Schwarzenegger doesn't identify with Latinos.
LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: He doesn't live in our world. He lives on Planet Hollywood. I need your vote for governor.
MARQUEZ: Schwarzenegger defends himself, saying he's an immigrant. In his first job as a bricklayer, he made 60 bucks a week. And he achieved the American Dream.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I am for the Latin community. I love Mexico. I've done four movies down there. I'm an immigrant. I know about immigration. I sympathize about what the immigrants have to go through, the hard work, the struggle and all those things to make it here.
MARQUEZ (on camera): So why all this political bickering over Hispanic voters? Well, ethnically, Latinos make up the second largest bloc of voters in California, about 12 percent. And with so many candidates in this race, a few votes could make the difference.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 8, 2003 - 07:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Arnold Schwarzenegger was invited to lead the Mexican Independence Day Parade yesterday in Los Angeles. But that invitation was suddenly withdrawn on Friday, the same day that Governor Gray Davis signed a bill allowing illegal immigrants the rights to hold drivers' licenses.
Miguel Marquez takes a look at the politics of the parade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Everyone loves a parade, but not just anyone can march in one.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Politicians got involved and they disinvited me. It has nothing to do about anything. It has to do with that they want to win.
MARQUEZ: They are Gray Davis's supporters, says Schwarzenegger, who kept him from participating in the Mexican Independence Day Parade. Davis says he did nothing of the sort and besides, Schwarzenegger may have not been very welcome.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I don't think that recognizes California is changing and how we all depend on the hard work of all the people who live here, citizens and immigrants alike.
MARQUEZ: And the man who put the parade together says Schwarzenegger was invited to be grand marshal, but the invitation wasn't official. Schwarzenegger says he then applied to march in the parade, but that, too, was turned down.
DAVID BENITEZ, PARADE CHAIRMAN: Never. Never. We never received an official application by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
MARQUEZ: And Arnold Schwarzenegger has another problem. Cruz Bustamante is driving home the point that Schwarzenegger doesn't identify with Latinos.
LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: He doesn't live in our world. He lives on Planet Hollywood. I need your vote for governor.
MARQUEZ: Schwarzenegger defends himself, saying he's an immigrant. In his first job as a bricklayer, he made 60 bucks a week. And he achieved the American Dream.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I am for the Latin community. I love Mexico. I've done four movies down there. I'm an immigrant. I know about immigration. I sympathize about what the immigrants have to go through, the hard work, the struggle and all those things to make it here.
MARQUEZ (on camera): So why all this political bickering over Hispanic voters? Well, ethnically, Latinos make up the second largest bloc of voters in California, about 12 percent. And with so many candidates in this race, a few votes could make the difference.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
