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Governor Gray Davis Fights Back

Aired August 12, 2003 - 15:03   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.


JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: In about an hour from now, the man who started all this, Governor Gray Davis, will hold a news conference in Brentwood, California, part of his see-him-still-working strategy to try to defeat the recall. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in Brentwood and joins us now with the governor's day -- Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, John. You're right. Very soon the governor will make an appearance at the gas station right behind me. He is expected to come here and to talk about the environment and clean burning fuel. Now, of course, this is all part of his strategy to get out on to the street to talk about the issues, to talk about his track record, things and details obscured by the recall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): The person at the center of this political storm was out trying to save his job. He may not be an action hero, but in the swarm of high school girls, he was the closest thing to a star. For Davis, a welcomed start to a full week on the campaign trail. It began at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

RABBI MARVIN HIER, DEAN, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: Well, Governor, you can pay particular pride in something that you not only were instrumental in funding, but care deeply about.

GUTIERREZ: The things he cares deeply about is what Davis says he's already worked on, like healthcare for the working poor.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: We have a million children who have health insurance today. Children of working families that did not have...

GUTIERREZ: Davis also touts his work on education, privacy protection and a statewide anti-hate program for school kids. And, yes, he says he even made good on the budget crisis.

GRAY: We have the budget crisis resolved. There's no $38 billion problem anymore. We have a balanced budget this year.

GUTIERREZ: For all he's done, he still has to field stinging questions about all those other people vying for his job, including his lieutenant governor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking of tolerance, how tolerant are you of Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante running? GRAY: I did not ask a single individual in the Democratic Party not to run.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ: How does Davis feel about his lieutenant governor? Well, he would only say that he is old fashioned. That he's the kind of person who would believe that once a leader is chosen he would expect all the others behind him to stand behind him. But he did go on to say that he thinks Bustamante is a very decent and good man.

John, back to you.

KING: Well, Thelma, a decent and good man he says of Bustamante. Is the governor saying anything at all about this polling in recent days that showed his approval rating is quite dismal?

GUTIERREZ: Well, they really are dismal, John. In fact, the most recent CNN-"USA Today" Gallup Poll shows that 64 percent of those surveyed think that the governor ought to be recalled. Only 29 percent think that he ought to remain in his job.

When asked about that, the governor said, you know, these polls are being taken every single day. He said it would be impossible to keep up with all of them and that his focus would be to get out on the street and simply talk about his track record. And that was his only reaction to the polls.

KING: Thelma Gutierrez keeping track of Governor Davis for us today in Brentwood, California. Thank you very much, Thelma.

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 12, 2003 - 15:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: In about an hour from now, the man who started all this, Governor Gray Davis, will hold a news conference in Brentwood, California, part of his see-him-still-working strategy to try to defeat the recall. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in Brentwood and joins us now with the governor's day -- Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, John. You're right. Very soon the governor will make an appearance at the gas station right behind me. He is expected to come here and to talk about the environment and clean burning fuel. Now, of course, this is all part of his strategy to get out on to the street to talk about the issues, to talk about his track record, things and details obscured by the recall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): The person at the center of this political storm was out trying to save his job. He may not be an action hero, but in the swarm of high school girls, he was the closest thing to a star. For Davis, a welcomed start to a full week on the campaign trail. It began at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

RABBI MARVIN HIER, DEAN, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: Well, Governor, you can pay particular pride in something that you not only were instrumental in funding, but care deeply about.

GUTIERREZ: The things he cares deeply about is what Davis says he's already worked on, like healthcare for the working poor.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: We have a million children who have health insurance today. Children of working families that did not have...

GUTIERREZ: Davis also touts his work on education, privacy protection and a statewide anti-hate program for school kids. And, yes, he says he even made good on the budget crisis.

GRAY: We have the budget crisis resolved. There's no $38 billion problem anymore. We have a balanced budget this year.

GUTIERREZ: For all he's done, he still has to field stinging questions about all those other people vying for his job, including his lieutenant governor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking of tolerance, how tolerant are you of Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante running? GRAY: I did not ask a single individual in the Democratic Party not to run.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUTIERREZ: How does Davis feel about his lieutenant governor? Well, he would only say that he is old fashioned. That he's the kind of person who would believe that once a leader is chosen he would expect all the others behind him to stand behind him. But he did go on to say that he thinks Bustamante is a very decent and good man.

John, back to you.

KING: Well, Thelma, a decent and good man he says of Bustamante. Is the governor saying anything at all about this polling in recent days that showed his approval rating is quite dismal?

GUTIERREZ: Well, they really are dismal, John. In fact, the most recent CNN-"USA Today" Gallup Poll shows that 64 percent of those surveyed think that the governor ought to be recalled. Only 29 percent think that he ought to remain in his job.

When asked about that, the governor said, you know, these polls are being taken every single day. He said it would be impossible to keep up with all of them and that his focus would be to get out on the street and simply talk about his track record. And that was his only reaction to the polls.

KING: Thelma Gutierrez keeping track of Governor Davis for us today in Brentwood, California. Thank you very much, Thelma.

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