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Interview With California Gubernatorial Candidate Tom McClintock
Aired August 26, 2003 - 15:01 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: As the California recall election, you could say Labor Day has come a little early. At this hour, the powerful state AFL-CIO is facing a big decision. It could influence the outcome of the October 7 vote.
CNN's Dan Lothian is covering the meeting in Manhattan Beach.
Dan, what are you expecting from the meeting, if you're hearing anything at this point? And how big an effect is it going to have?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, what happens at this meeting will be certainly important for Governor Gray Davis, who has been crisscrossing the state in an attempt to fight this recall that will kick him out of his job.
The unions, of course, have been very -- and this union in particular -- have been very supportive of the governor. They will be voting here this afternoon. It is a closed-door meeting. Some 600 or so members will be voting. Afterwards, they'll come into this room, where the California Labor Federation AFL-CIO members will hold a press conference, Governor Gray Davis expected to meet with them.
That vote will center on whether or not they will continue to accept this notion that they should fight the recall and fight any Democrats who are on the ballot. That has been the call from the very beginning. They have been against the recall, very vocal against the recall, very vocal against any Democrats getting on to the ballot.
Or they could vote to take on what could be seen as sort of the Bustamante strategy, which is, you vote no on the recall, and then you vote yes for Bustamante as an insurance policy. We will find out later this afternoon if, indeed, that is what the members will choose to do -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Dan Lothian watching that meeting in Manhattan Beach. And, of course, we'll be following it as developments come out of it. Thank you, Dan.
LOTHIAN: OK.
WOODRUFF: Well, while the Davis camp keeps tabs on labor's next move -- are they? -- California first lady Sharon Davis has been trying to rally another voting group. She urged women to vote no on the recall during a news conference commemorating Women's Equality Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON DAVIS, WIFE OF GRAY DAVIS: We're celebrating an important anniversary, women winning the right to vote 83 years ago. On October 7, we are going to decide if a vote really counts. When you go to vote, does it really count? And does a small minority have a right to overturn the electorate, when eight million people showed up at the polls and decided who would be the governor?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: First lady Sharon Davis.
Well, the race to replace Governor Davis, if he does get the boot, is taking a negative turn. Arnold Schwarzenegger was back on conservative talk radio this morning, after lashing out on the airwaves against his main opponent, Cruz Bustamante. In his remarks yesterday, Schwarzenegger took aim at the Democrat's appearance, as well as his policies.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think that people just have to understand that when you vote -- when you think about Gray Davis, you have to also think at the same time Bustamante, because it's one team. I mean, they both are -- it's -- one cannot say, well, listen, I had nothing to do with that mess, because they both are together. And it's like newspaper pointed out, that it's just, Bustamante is Gray Davis with a receding hairline and with a mustache.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: A Bustamante consultant says that Schwarzenegger was -- quote -- "not being fair or completely honest." Schwarzenegger delivered that jab just days after a "Los Angeles Times" poll showed him trailing Bustamante by 13 points.
Well, Republican Peter Ueberroth is trying to take the high road in his new radio ad. Here's a snippet from the 60-second spot that highlights Ueberroth's leadership of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: In a crisis, we need a proven leader who brings people together to solve problems.
NARRATOR: That's why so many Californians are turning to Peter Ueberroth.
NARRATOR: Ueberroth led the highly successful L.A. Olympics. For the first time ever, as Peter promised, the Olympics did not run a deficit.
NARRATOR: In fact, he delivered a $220 million surplus.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WOODRUFF: Ueberroth's aides have pointed to this ad as evidence that the former baseball commissioner is staying in the recall race, despite pressure from some top Republicans to get out.
Well, gubernatorial candidate Tom McClintock also is resisting calls from Republicans to unite behind Arnold Schwarzenegger. And he, too, is launching ads. His first TV spot begins airing in California's Central Valley tomorrow. It is described as a -- quote -- "vision piece on what California can be."
State Senator Tom McClintock joins us now from Sacramento.
Tom McClintock, thank you for being with us.
TOM MCCLINTOCK (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Nice to be with you.
WOODRUFF: It's not just Republicans, but Arnold Schwarzenegger himself who said yesterday that you and all the other Republicans should get out of the race, so that he can win. What do you say?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, look, I know War Admiral doesn't want to race, but Seabiscuit does. And this is one horse who is in the race to the finish line.
WOODRUFF: Well, does that mean under no circumstances you're going to pull out?
MCCLINTOCK: That's precisely what it means, Judy. I don't know how else I can put it.
WOODRUFF: Well, we know that there are a number of Republicans who are saying publicly and privately that you and Peter Ueberroth could get out. Who's been saying that to you privately?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, I have not gotten any calls. I keep reading the comments in the newspapers. But I'm kind of old-fashioned about this. I think we ought to have a campaign first and then let the voters decide who wins it.
WOODRUFF: You mean, no one has said to you, Tom McClintock, that you shouldn't run?
MCCLINTOCK: No. No. We've gotten no calls whatsoever.
The only call I got from the White House was several weeks ago to assure me of the president's neutrality. I have had regular conversations with Duf Sundheim and he has never raised that issue. Duf Sundheim, of course, is the state party chairman.
WOODRUFF: How do you argue, though, with the math -- and this is what Schwarzenegger himself was referring to yesterday -- that Republicans have a much better shot, in fact, their only real shot at unseating Gray Davis, if they have one person in the race?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, I think that's a good point. And that's why I'm prepared, at the appropriate time, to accept Arnold Schwarzenegger's endorsement.
(LAUGHTER)
WOODRUFF: Seriously speaking, do you think Republicans have a real...
MCCLINTOCK: I am serious.
WOODRUFF: You don't think there's a chance he would do that. So, my question...
MCCLINTOCK: But, Judy, to answer you seriously, I've gone, in the last three weeks, from an asterisk in the polls to double-digits.
Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger, with unprecedented media coverage, has been absolutely dead in the water. He is consistently polled in the low to mid 20s. So the momentum is clearly on my side. We have still got 42 days, six full weeks, until the election. And the momentum is all in my direction right now.
WOODRUFF: But, right now, you also know that he has got the name identification. And when it comes to his position on the issues, he's the one who is saying he doesn't intend to raise taxes. He wants to cut state spending. Why isn't that the right approach?
MCCLINTOCK: Judy, first of all, he has pointedly refused to take a no-tax pledge every time he has been asked to do so.
He has assembled around himself the team that produced the biggest tax increase in this state's history back in 1991 that broke the back of our economy. His chief fiscal adviser is Warren Buffett, perhaps the most outspoken advocate of higher taxes in the country. And every time he's been asked to take a no-tax pledge, he has refused to do so. That leaves me very disturbed about what he has in mind. The fact of the matter is, he has taken very few positions on any issues. And most of those positions are identical to Gray Davis.
WOODRUFF: He also says, Arnold Schwarzenegger says, he's the candidate, he's the only candidate representing all the people. He says he's not beholden to any special interests.
MCCLINTOCK: Well, look at the spate of special interest money that he is now reporting to the secretary of state's office.
WOODRUFF: What do you mean?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, I mean, he pledged that he would not be raising money from special interests. And now he's getting money from every special interest in the state, including some of the biggest land developers in California.
WOODRUFF: Well, let me ask you, finally, very quickly...
MCCLINTOCK: So he has broken that pledge.
WOODRUFF: Well, let me ask you quickly about your own plan. You say you would repeal the California state car tax. If you did, that is another $12 billion added to the state deficit. How would you make it up?
MCCLINTOCK: Actually, that is $4 billion. When we reveal the entire car tax, as I have advocated doing, it will be about $6 billion.
That's about the amount that can be saved simply by streamlining the current bureaucratic structure of the state, according to the Reason Foundation's recent survey of the state's finances. Giving the state the same freedom that every family and business has to shop around for the best service at the lowest price saves about another $9 billion and actually improves the quality of services being delivered to the people of California. There's plenty of ways to reduce a budget in a state that spends as much as California and delivers as little.
WOODRUFF: Senator Tom McClintock, we're going to have to leave it there, but we appreciate your talking with us.
MCCLINTOCK: Thanks for having me, Judy.
WOODRUFF: We'll see you in the days to come. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
McClintock>
Aired August 26, 2003 - 15:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: As the California recall election, you could say Labor Day has come a little early. At this hour, the powerful state AFL-CIO is facing a big decision. It could influence the outcome of the October 7 vote.
CNN's Dan Lothian is covering the meeting in Manhattan Beach.
Dan, what are you expecting from the meeting, if you're hearing anything at this point? And how big an effect is it going to have?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, what happens at this meeting will be certainly important for Governor Gray Davis, who has been crisscrossing the state in an attempt to fight this recall that will kick him out of his job.
The unions, of course, have been very -- and this union in particular -- have been very supportive of the governor. They will be voting here this afternoon. It is a closed-door meeting. Some 600 or so members will be voting. Afterwards, they'll come into this room, where the California Labor Federation AFL-CIO members will hold a press conference, Governor Gray Davis expected to meet with them.
That vote will center on whether or not they will continue to accept this notion that they should fight the recall and fight any Democrats who are on the ballot. That has been the call from the very beginning. They have been against the recall, very vocal against the recall, very vocal against any Democrats getting on to the ballot.
Or they could vote to take on what could be seen as sort of the Bustamante strategy, which is, you vote no on the recall, and then you vote yes for Bustamante as an insurance policy. We will find out later this afternoon if, indeed, that is what the members will choose to do -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Dan Lothian watching that meeting in Manhattan Beach. And, of course, we'll be following it as developments come out of it. Thank you, Dan.
LOTHIAN: OK.
WOODRUFF: Well, while the Davis camp keeps tabs on labor's next move -- are they? -- California first lady Sharon Davis has been trying to rally another voting group. She urged women to vote no on the recall during a news conference commemorating Women's Equality Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARON DAVIS, WIFE OF GRAY DAVIS: We're celebrating an important anniversary, women winning the right to vote 83 years ago. On October 7, we are going to decide if a vote really counts. When you go to vote, does it really count? And does a small minority have a right to overturn the electorate, when eight million people showed up at the polls and decided who would be the governor?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: First lady Sharon Davis.
Well, the race to replace Governor Davis, if he does get the boot, is taking a negative turn. Arnold Schwarzenegger was back on conservative talk radio this morning, after lashing out on the airwaves against his main opponent, Cruz Bustamante. In his remarks yesterday, Schwarzenegger took aim at the Democrat's appearance, as well as his policies.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I think that people just have to understand that when you vote -- when you think about Gray Davis, you have to also think at the same time Bustamante, because it's one team. I mean, they both are -- it's -- one cannot say, well, listen, I had nothing to do with that mess, because they both are together. And it's like newspaper pointed out, that it's just, Bustamante is Gray Davis with a receding hairline and with a mustache.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: A Bustamante consultant says that Schwarzenegger was -- quote -- "not being fair or completely honest." Schwarzenegger delivered that jab just days after a "Los Angeles Times" poll showed him trailing Bustamante by 13 points.
Well, Republican Peter Ueberroth is trying to take the high road in his new radio ad. Here's a snippet from the 60-second spot that highlights Ueberroth's leadership of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
NARRATOR: In a crisis, we need a proven leader who brings people together to solve problems.
NARRATOR: That's why so many Californians are turning to Peter Ueberroth.
NARRATOR: Ueberroth led the highly successful L.A. Olympics. For the first time ever, as Peter promised, the Olympics did not run a deficit.
NARRATOR: In fact, he delivered a $220 million surplus.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WOODRUFF: Ueberroth's aides have pointed to this ad as evidence that the former baseball commissioner is staying in the recall race, despite pressure from some top Republicans to get out.
Well, gubernatorial candidate Tom McClintock also is resisting calls from Republicans to unite behind Arnold Schwarzenegger. And he, too, is launching ads. His first TV spot begins airing in California's Central Valley tomorrow. It is described as a -- quote -- "vision piece on what California can be."
State Senator Tom McClintock joins us now from Sacramento.
Tom McClintock, thank you for being with us.
TOM MCCLINTOCK (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Nice to be with you.
WOODRUFF: It's not just Republicans, but Arnold Schwarzenegger himself who said yesterday that you and all the other Republicans should get out of the race, so that he can win. What do you say?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, look, I know War Admiral doesn't want to race, but Seabiscuit does. And this is one horse who is in the race to the finish line.
WOODRUFF: Well, does that mean under no circumstances you're going to pull out?
MCCLINTOCK: That's precisely what it means, Judy. I don't know how else I can put it.
WOODRUFF: Well, we know that there are a number of Republicans who are saying publicly and privately that you and Peter Ueberroth could get out. Who's been saying that to you privately?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, I have not gotten any calls. I keep reading the comments in the newspapers. But I'm kind of old-fashioned about this. I think we ought to have a campaign first and then let the voters decide who wins it.
WOODRUFF: You mean, no one has said to you, Tom McClintock, that you shouldn't run?
MCCLINTOCK: No. No. We've gotten no calls whatsoever.
The only call I got from the White House was several weeks ago to assure me of the president's neutrality. I have had regular conversations with Duf Sundheim and he has never raised that issue. Duf Sundheim, of course, is the state party chairman.
WOODRUFF: How do you argue, though, with the math -- and this is what Schwarzenegger himself was referring to yesterday -- that Republicans have a much better shot, in fact, their only real shot at unseating Gray Davis, if they have one person in the race?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, I think that's a good point. And that's why I'm prepared, at the appropriate time, to accept Arnold Schwarzenegger's endorsement.
(LAUGHTER)
WOODRUFF: Seriously speaking, do you think Republicans have a real...
MCCLINTOCK: I am serious.
WOODRUFF: You don't think there's a chance he would do that. So, my question...
MCCLINTOCK: But, Judy, to answer you seriously, I've gone, in the last three weeks, from an asterisk in the polls to double-digits.
Meanwhile, Arnold Schwarzenegger, with unprecedented media coverage, has been absolutely dead in the water. He is consistently polled in the low to mid 20s. So the momentum is clearly on my side. We have still got 42 days, six full weeks, until the election. And the momentum is all in my direction right now.
WOODRUFF: But, right now, you also know that he has got the name identification. And when it comes to his position on the issues, he's the one who is saying he doesn't intend to raise taxes. He wants to cut state spending. Why isn't that the right approach?
MCCLINTOCK: Judy, first of all, he has pointedly refused to take a no-tax pledge every time he has been asked to do so.
He has assembled around himself the team that produced the biggest tax increase in this state's history back in 1991 that broke the back of our economy. His chief fiscal adviser is Warren Buffett, perhaps the most outspoken advocate of higher taxes in the country. And every time he's been asked to take a no-tax pledge, he has refused to do so. That leaves me very disturbed about what he has in mind. The fact of the matter is, he has taken very few positions on any issues. And most of those positions are identical to Gray Davis.
WOODRUFF: He also says, Arnold Schwarzenegger says, he's the candidate, he's the only candidate representing all the people. He says he's not beholden to any special interests.
MCCLINTOCK: Well, look at the spate of special interest money that he is now reporting to the secretary of state's office.
WOODRUFF: What do you mean?
MCCLINTOCK: Well, I mean, he pledged that he would not be raising money from special interests. And now he's getting money from every special interest in the state, including some of the biggest land developers in California.
WOODRUFF: Well, let me ask you, finally, very quickly...
MCCLINTOCK: So he has broken that pledge.
WOODRUFF: Well, let me ask you quickly about your own plan. You say you would repeal the California state car tax. If you did, that is another $12 billion added to the state deficit. How would you make it up?
MCCLINTOCK: Actually, that is $4 billion. When we reveal the entire car tax, as I have advocated doing, it will be about $6 billion.
That's about the amount that can be saved simply by streamlining the current bureaucratic structure of the state, according to the Reason Foundation's recent survey of the state's finances. Giving the state the same freedom that every family and business has to shop around for the best service at the lowest price saves about another $9 billion and actually improves the quality of services being delivered to the people of California. There's plenty of ways to reduce a budget in a state that spends as much as California and delivers as little.
WOODRUFF: Senator Tom McClintock, we're going to have to leave it there, but we appreciate your talking with us.
MCCLINTOCK: Thanks for having me, Judy.
WOODRUFF: We'll see you in the days to come. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
McClintock>
