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CNN Live At Daybreak

Schwarzenegger Wins Recall Election

Aired October 08, 2003 - 06:30   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly this was an historical election. For the first time ever, California voters kicked out a sitting governor.
CNN's Kimberly Osias watched the returns come in, and she joins us live now from Sacramento, which, of course, is the state capital.

Kimberly -- was anyone really surprised by the results?

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Carol, I think the only surprise was in that it was such a decisive win for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Now, the daunting task facing the governor-elect is how to move from the momentum of the campaign to real political action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW" HOST: Ladies and gentlemen, this is an historic night.

OSIAS (voice-over): In fitting Hollywood style tonight, show host Jay Leno paved the way for the new governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVORNER-ELECT: California has given me the greatest gift of all. You have given me your trust.

OSIAS: With beaming wife, Maria Shriver, and much of the Kennedy clan be his side, Schwarzenegger pledged to be a governor of the people.

SCHWARZENEGGER: For the people to win, politics as usual must lose.

OSIAS: Gray Davis delivered a new message to his supporters: to put the chaos of the rancorous recall election behind and move forward.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: The people did decide it is time for someone else to serve, and I accept their judgment.

OSIAS: Davis has said he'll help with the transition of power. Schwarzenegger will need lots of help. Come January, the Democratic legislature is slated to vote on the budget. California requires a two-thirds majority to pass any legislation. And now, with an estimated $8 billion budget deficit, finding agreement won't be easy. PROF. KIMBERLY NALDER, CAL. STATE SACRAMENTO: The task of governing California after this recall election is Herculean.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante will remain in office until January, 2007 -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Kimberly Osias reporting live for us from Sacramento, California, this morning.

Now on to Los Angeles. Our Bob Franken has been up all night long, watching this rather strange election.

And, you know, Bob, many are wondering was this democracy at its best or worst?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question. You certainly used the accurate word, though: "strange."

Of course, this gets to the whole question of the Constitution, which envisioned something a little different from this -- the federal Constitution -- where there would, in effect, be a buffer against this type of thing. It would be called representative government. The idea was you'd have an election every period of time. Then, the person who served would serve. And unless there was some traumatic reason, he would be up for election again.

Of course, the people of California decided they had been traumatized by developments in this state, the economic developments in particular. And they decided that was reason enough to get rid of Gray Davis.

The question, of course, now is whether Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to be able to handle them any better.

COSTELLO: Yes, and just a few technical questions for you. I know that the votes need to be certified, and they probably will not be certified until what? November 15? So what does...

FRANKEN: Something like that, yes.

COSTELLO: Something like that.

FRANKEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, what does Schwarzenegger do between now and then?

FRANKEN: Probably a lot of appearances on the Jay Leno show. And also, he has a lot of meetings with people trying to form a government, lots of meetings with Gray Davis. They promised a smooth transition. That's not a lot of time for a transition. As a matter of fact, there have been rumblings from those who had led the recall that they might, in fact, try and speed things up, because they're worried that Gray Davis may make a number of appointments that they wouldn't want, before he leaves office. There's a lot of maneuvering to go here.

COSTELLO: Well, another question and oddity. Cruz Bustamante remains lieutenant governor?

FRANKEN: He does remain lieutenant governor. He didn't have to give up his day job to run for election.

COSTELLO: So, will he actually work with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

FRANKEN: Well, that's...

COSTELLO: I mean...

FRANKEN: That is a good question. He becomes, in effect, the highest-ranking Democrat in the state, and we've all listened to him as he said any time you want to leave the state, Governor Schwarzenegger, to do a movie or something, don't worry about it; I'll be here to take care of things.

Yes, and you can imagine that Schwarzenegger is going to be comfortable with that.

COSTELLO: Very strange. Bob Franken, many thanks for waking up...

FRANKEN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: ... or staying up late with DAYBREAK, whatever the case might have been.

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 October 8, 2003 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Certainly this was an historical election. For the first time ever, California voters kicked out a sitting governor.
CNN's Kimberly Osias watched the returns come in, and she joins us live now from Sacramento, which, of course, is the state capital.

Kimberly -- was anyone really surprised by the results?

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Carol, I think the only surprise was in that it was such a decisive win for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Now, the daunting task facing the governor-elect is how to move from the momentum of the campaign to real political action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW" HOST: Ladies and gentlemen, this is an historic night.

OSIAS (voice-over): In fitting Hollywood style tonight, show host Jay Leno paved the way for the new governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVORNER-ELECT: California has given me the greatest gift of all. You have given me your trust.

OSIAS: With beaming wife, Maria Shriver, and much of the Kennedy clan be his side, Schwarzenegger pledged to be a governor of the people.

SCHWARZENEGGER: For the people to win, politics as usual must lose.

OSIAS: Gray Davis delivered a new message to his supporters: to put the chaos of the rancorous recall election behind and move forward.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: The people did decide it is time for someone else to serve, and I accept their judgment.

OSIAS: Davis has said he'll help with the transition of power. Schwarzenegger will need lots of help. Come January, the Democratic legislature is slated to vote on the budget. California requires a two-thirds majority to pass any legislation. And now, with an estimated $8 billion budget deficit, finding agreement won't be easy. PROF. KIMBERLY NALDER, CAL. STATE SACRAMENTO: The task of governing California after this recall election is Herculean.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante will remain in office until January, 2007 -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Kimberly Osias reporting live for us from Sacramento, California, this morning.

Now on to Los Angeles. Our Bob Franken has been up all night long, watching this rather strange election.

And, you know, Bob, many are wondering was this democracy at its best or worst?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question. You certainly used the accurate word, though: "strange."

Of course, this gets to the whole question of the Constitution, which envisioned something a little different from this -- the federal Constitution -- where there would, in effect, be a buffer against this type of thing. It would be called representative government. The idea was you'd have an election every period of time. Then, the person who served would serve. And unless there was some traumatic reason, he would be up for election again.

Of course, the people of California decided they had been traumatized by developments in this state, the economic developments in particular. And they decided that was reason enough to get rid of Gray Davis.

The question, of course, now is whether Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to be able to handle them any better.

COSTELLO: Yes, and just a few technical questions for you. I know that the votes need to be certified, and they probably will not be certified until what? November 15? So what does...

FRANKEN: Something like that, yes.

COSTELLO: Something like that.

FRANKEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: So, what does Schwarzenegger do between now and then?

FRANKEN: Probably a lot of appearances on the Jay Leno show. And also, he has a lot of meetings with people trying to form a government, lots of meetings with Gray Davis. They promised a smooth transition. That's not a lot of time for a transition. As a matter of fact, there have been rumblings from those who had led the recall that they might, in fact, try and speed things up, because they're worried that Gray Davis may make a number of appointments that they wouldn't want, before he leaves office. There's a lot of maneuvering to go here.

COSTELLO: Well, another question and oddity. Cruz Bustamante remains lieutenant governor?

FRANKEN: He does remain lieutenant governor. He didn't have to give up his day job to run for election.

COSTELLO: So, will he actually work with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

FRANKEN: Well, that's...

COSTELLO: I mean...

FRANKEN: That is a good question. He becomes, in effect, the highest-ranking Democrat in the state, and we've all listened to him as he said any time you want to leave the state, Governor Schwarzenegger, to do a movie or something, don't worry about it; I'll be here to take care of things.

Yes, and you can imagine that Schwarzenegger is going to be comfortable with that.

COSTELLO: Very strange. Bob Franken, many thanks for waking up...

FRANKEN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: ... or staying up late with DAYBREAK, whatever the case might have been.

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