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CNN Live At Daybreak

California Recall: Great Debate

Aired September 24, 2003 - 06:06   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The California recall election will go on as originally scheduled, October 7. Groups who had fought to push the vote back to March have decided not to make an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That decision followed an 11-judge panel's ruling. The election could go forward with punch card voting systems in six counties.
Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger was delighted with the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The court has voted yes. We're going to have the recall on October 7. The people -- 1.6 million people have signed the recall petition to say we should have the recall on October 7, so we are going to have it, and we're going to have a good time. This is our chance to take the government back again.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: If you want to recall me because we had -- in the past tense -- a $38 million deficit, then let's recall all 47 governors, Republican and Democrat, who also went from surplus to deficit. And let's recall the president of the United States, because he went from the largest surplus to the largest deficit in America. And then what's fair is fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The election date is set.

All eyes are turning to tonight's candidate debate now. CNN's Kelly Wallace has a preview.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The stakes will be high for all of the major candidates in tonight's debate, but perhaps the pressure will be greatest for Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will be the political newcomer's first and only debate in this recall election and the only debate where the candidates get the questions in advance.

It could be a make-or-break performance for Schwarzenegger, some political observers say, noting that Schwarzenegger's numbers have not gone up significantly in the most recent polls.

Now, the pressure is also on GOP candidate state Senator Tom McClintock, who has been trailing Schwarzenegger in the polls, as more influential Republicans say it's time for McClintock to step aside to avoid splitting the Republican vote. But McClintock's aides say the candidate is in this race until the end.

The major challenge for the major Democratic replacement candidate, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, is to do some damage control. His unfavorability ratings have risen, due to a controversy stemming from donations he received from Native-American tribes.

This debate is taking place a day after the federal court's rule that this election should go on as scheduled. This means these candidates have just 13 days left to get their message to the voters.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting from Sacramento.

(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 24, 2003 - 06:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The California recall election will go on as originally scheduled, October 7. Groups who had fought to push the vote back to March have decided not to make an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That decision followed an 11-judge panel's ruling. The election could go forward with punch card voting systems in six counties.
Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger was delighted with the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The court has voted yes. We're going to have the recall on October 7. The people -- 1.6 million people have signed the recall petition to say we should have the recall on October 7, so we are going to have it, and we're going to have a good time. This is our chance to take the government back again.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: If you want to recall me because we had -- in the past tense -- a $38 million deficit, then let's recall all 47 governors, Republican and Democrat, who also went from surplus to deficit. And let's recall the president of the United States, because he went from the largest surplus to the largest deficit in America. And then what's fair is fair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: The election date is set.

All eyes are turning to tonight's candidate debate now. CNN's Kelly Wallace has a preview.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The stakes will be high for all of the major candidates in tonight's debate, but perhaps the pressure will be greatest for Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will be the political newcomer's first and only debate in this recall election and the only debate where the candidates get the questions in advance.

It could be a make-or-break performance for Schwarzenegger, some political observers say, noting that Schwarzenegger's numbers have not gone up significantly in the most recent polls.

Now, the pressure is also on GOP candidate state Senator Tom McClintock, who has been trailing Schwarzenegger in the polls, as more influential Republicans say it's time for McClintock to step aside to avoid splitting the Republican vote. But McClintock's aides say the candidate is in this race until the end.

The major challenge for the major Democratic replacement candidate, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, is to do some damage control. His unfavorability ratings have risen, due to a controversy stemming from donations he received from Native-American tribes.

This debate is taking place a day after the federal court's rule that this election should go on as scheduled. This means these candidates have just 13 days left to get their message to the voters.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting from Sacramento.

(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.