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Interview With California State Assemblyman Abel Maldonado

Aired September 23, 2003 - 15:17   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: And now with me to talk about why this recall in California should go forward and why he supports Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign is Abel Maldonado. He is a Republican state assemblyman from Santa Maria and an adviser to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Hispanic issues.
Mr. Maldonado, is this good news for Arnold Schwarzenegger that the recall is going forward October 7?

ABEL MALDONADO (R), CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: Well, I think it's good news, Judy, to Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's good news to every candidate, but, more importantly, good news to the people of California who voted for this recall; 1.6 million people voted to put this recall on the ballot.

It was a bipartisan effort, Judy; 42 percent of the folks that signed the recall petitions were Democrats. So I think it's good news for the people of California to move this forward. It is the will of the people.

WOODRUFF: Now, we just heard a moment ago, Cruz Bustamante -- in fact, I did an interview with him that's going to air a little later -- talking about whether Arnold Schwarzenegger, in criticizing Mr. Bustamante for reaching out to the Indian tribes in the state of California is being, in the words of Mr. Bustamante, a hypocrite, because Mr. Schwarzenegger last year himself helped these tribes raise money. What do you say to that?

MALDONADO: Well, Arnold is his own person. Arnold is working very, very hard to be the next governor of California. Arnold has made it very clear that he's coming to Sacramento to clean house, to make a difference.

I haven't seen the ads that have come out that you're talking about, Judy. But I think what happens is, you point the other person's views, you point your differences out. So, Arnold today is -- he's heading up north preparing for tomorrow to debate Cruz Bustamante and to debate the rest of the candidates. And I look forward for him to tell the people of California where he stands on these issues.

WOODRUFF: Do you think that it's problem for Mr. Schwarzenegger that he's agreed to do only one debate?

MALDONADO: Judy, I've been traveling with him up and down the state. I was just down with him in east Los Angeles. He's been going up and down the state, having these forums called "Ask Arnold," asking him the tough questions, the real questions, the questions from Californians. Those are very, very important.

He's made it very, very clear that he's going to debate tomorrow. We look forward to that. He's made it sound like it's the Super Bowl, which we believe it's the Super Bowl of debates. It's going to be well covered. And I look forward for the people of California listening to where Arnold stands on the positions. You're going to hear he is a strong fiscal conservative. You're going to hear that tomorrow, Judy.

WOODRUFF: But they're getting the questions in advance.

MALDONADO: Judy, that was the Broadcasters Association who did that. Arnold sent a letter to the to Broadcasters asking them to please change the format. They declined. So we have to go by the rules of the people that are putting the debate on.

WOODRUFF: What about Mr. McClintock? Were you urge him to get out of the race at this point?

MALDONADO: I know Tom. And I like Tom.

But it's just a numbers game. And I'd like to see Tom move aside and let Arnold move forward. Arnold has always polled higher than Mr. McClintock. So I think it's important that we unite, because if we unite, we win. If we don't, it's going to be a tougher race. We're the underdogs, but we can still win this race. So we're continuing to work hard. You're going to hear Arnold tomorrow at the debate.

You're going to hear the message the rest of the week and the following week, now that the election is put on for October the 7th.

WOODRUFF: All right, Republican California state Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, good to see you. Thank you very much for talking to us. We appreciate it.

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






Maldonado>


Aired September 23, 2003 - 15:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: And now with me to talk about why this recall in California should go forward and why he supports Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign is Abel Maldonado. He is a Republican state assemblyman from Santa Maria and an adviser to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Hispanic issues.
Mr. Maldonado, is this good news for Arnold Schwarzenegger that the recall is going forward October 7?

ABEL MALDONADO (R), CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: Well, I think it's good news, Judy, to Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's good news to every candidate, but, more importantly, good news to the people of California who voted for this recall; 1.6 million people voted to put this recall on the ballot.

It was a bipartisan effort, Judy; 42 percent of the folks that signed the recall petitions were Democrats. So I think it's good news for the people of California to move this forward. It is the will of the people.

WOODRUFF: Now, we just heard a moment ago, Cruz Bustamante -- in fact, I did an interview with him that's going to air a little later -- talking about whether Arnold Schwarzenegger, in criticizing Mr. Bustamante for reaching out to the Indian tribes in the state of California is being, in the words of Mr. Bustamante, a hypocrite, because Mr. Schwarzenegger last year himself helped these tribes raise money. What do you say to that?

MALDONADO: Well, Arnold is his own person. Arnold is working very, very hard to be the next governor of California. Arnold has made it very clear that he's coming to Sacramento to clean house, to make a difference.

I haven't seen the ads that have come out that you're talking about, Judy. But I think what happens is, you point the other person's views, you point your differences out. So, Arnold today is -- he's heading up north preparing for tomorrow to debate Cruz Bustamante and to debate the rest of the candidates. And I look forward for him to tell the people of California where he stands on these issues.

WOODRUFF: Do you think that it's problem for Mr. Schwarzenegger that he's agreed to do only one debate?

MALDONADO: Judy, I've been traveling with him up and down the state. I was just down with him in east Los Angeles. He's been going up and down the state, having these forums called "Ask Arnold," asking him the tough questions, the real questions, the questions from Californians. Those are very, very important.

He's made it very, very clear that he's going to debate tomorrow. We look forward to that. He's made it sound like it's the Super Bowl, which we believe it's the Super Bowl of debates. It's going to be well covered. And I look forward for the people of California listening to where Arnold stands on the positions. You're going to hear he is a strong fiscal conservative. You're going to hear that tomorrow, Judy.

WOODRUFF: But they're getting the questions in advance.

MALDONADO: Judy, that was the Broadcasters Association who did that. Arnold sent a letter to the to Broadcasters asking them to please change the format. They declined. So we have to go by the rules of the people that are putting the debate on.

WOODRUFF: What about Mr. McClintock? Were you urge him to get out of the race at this point?

MALDONADO: I know Tom. And I like Tom.

But it's just a numbers game. And I'd like to see Tom move aside and let Arnold move forward. Arnold has always polled higher than Mr. McClintock. So I think it's important that we unite, because if we unite, we win. If we don't, it's going to be a tougher race. We're the underdogs, but we can still win this race. So we're continuing to work hard. You're going to hear Arnold tomorrow at the debate.

You're going to hear the message the rest of the week and the following week, now that the election is put on for October the 7th.

WOODRUFF: All right, Republican California state Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, good to see you. Thank you very much for talking to us. We appreciate it.

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






Maldonado>