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Interview With Carlos Watson
Aired November 17, 2003 - 13:56 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: This ceremony gets under way in just a few moments and while we're waiting we'll bring in two other people for comment. Julie Van Dermost (ph) is the head of the California Women's Leader Leadership Group. And Carlos Watson joins us from New York. He's a Democratic strategist.
Julie, to you first. High hopes among Republicans for this new governor?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. And I think high hopes among all Californians for this new governor. He's going to save our state and we are all very, very hopeful that it will happen very soon.
WOODRUFF: Carlos Watson, you are with us in New York today, but you are watching, have been watching California politic for quite some time. Democrats wish this governor well?
CARLOS WATSON, POLITICAL ANALYST: They do. I think there a been unusual spirit of bipartisanship. I think part of what Arnold's done which has incredibly successful is in announcing his transition team and even his cabinet is to put together a very diverse array of people, Democrats, independents, Republican.
So the spirit is there. Californians want to succeed. We're disproportionate. I say we because I live in California. And optimistic people. And I think he's enjoying that support at the moment.
WOODRUFF: Carlos, I'm told that Governor-Elect Schwarzenegger walking down the hall now with four of California's living former governors. Or I guess Gray Davis still in office. But the others are Pete Wilson, former Republican governor, George Deukmejian and Jerry Brown who was, of course, Democratic governor in this state for eight years.
The only former living governor who is not with us today, Ronald Reagan, of course, who is ailing from Alzheimer's. Our thoughts and wishes, of course, are with the former governor and the former president.
Julie Van Dermost, again, big task facing this governor in terms of dealing with the deficit and doing it in a way that he insists would be fiscally responsible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It will be a tough challenge and he's putting together a really good team of people on his cabinet and in his key positions. And we're seeing him put in Democrats and independents as well as Republicans. A lot of women on that team. So we're happy about that.
And I think that they do have a big challenge (UNINTELLIGIBLE) be able to pull it off. I think we have to pull it off...
(AUDIO GAP)
WOODRUFF: ... the same time as we said in New York. But we're watching -- again just moments away from the inaugural ceremony getting under way.
For Democrats, Carlos, to hear the governor say he wants to borrow -- and what we're hearing is 20, 30-some odd billion dollars to get California out of debt -- is this something the Democrats going to go along with?
WATSON: You've already seen a fight begin. The state treasurer Phil Angelites (ph) and the state controller, Steve Wesley (ph), both Democrats have pushed back and said before you start talking about borrowing, let's start about fixing the fundamental year to year structural deficit which right now totals about $13 or $14 billion a year.
But I think you're going to see a number of cuts across the board and the most difficult once will probably be in education. I think there also will be a push to if not, quote, unquote "raise taxes" because he said he won't do it. I think he'll do what George Deukmejian did when he came into office and he'll close corporate loopholes and in a sense, raise taxes that way on corporations.
but one way or another they a lot of money to be made up. They'll is also turn to the federal government. And expect, Judy, a big announcement in the next 14 days from the Schwarzenegger administration about help from President Bush.
WOODRUFF: Well that would make news, especially in this time when Washington is short on cash as well. Carlos and Julie are going to be with us through the ceremony.
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 November 17, 2003 - 13:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: This ceremony gets under way in just a few moments and while we're waiting we'll bring in two other people for comment. Julie Van Dermost (ph) is the head of the California Women's Leader Leadership Group. And Carlos Watson joins us from New York. He's a Democratic strategist.
Julie, to you first. High hopes among Republicans for this new governor?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. And I think high hopes among all Californians for this new governor. He's going to save our state and we are all very, very hopeful that it will happen very soon.
WOODRUFF: Carlos Watson, you are with us in New York today, but you are watching, have been watching California politic for quite some time. Democrats wish this governor well?
CARLOS WATSON, POLITICAL ANALYST: They do. I think there a been unusual spirit of bipartisanship. I think part of what Arnold's done which has incredibly successful is in announcing his transition team and even his cabinet is to put together a very diverse array of people, Democrats, independents, Republican.
So the spirit is there. Californians want to succeed. We're disproportionate. I say we because I live in California. And optimistic people. And I think he's enjoying that support at the moment.
WOODRUFF: Carlos, I'm told that Governor-Elect Schwarzenegger walking down the hall now with four of California's living former governors. Or I guess Gray Davis still in office. But the others are Pete Wilson, former Republican governor, George Deukmejian and Jerry Brown who was, of course, Democratic governor in this state for eight years.
The only former living governor who is not with us today, Ronald Reagan, of course, who is ailing from Alzheimer's. Our thoughts and wishes, of course, are with the former governor and the former president.
Julie Van Dermost, again, big task facing this governor in terms of dealing with the deficit and doing it in a way that he insists would be fiscally responsible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It will be a tough challenge and he's putting together a really good team of people on his cabinet and in his key positions. And we're seeing him put in Democrats and independents as well as Republicans. A lot of women on that team. So we're happy about that.
And I think that they do have a big challenge (UNINTELLIGIBLE) be able to pull it off. I think we have to pull it off...
(AUDIO GAP)
WOODRUFF: ... the same time as we said in New York. But we're watching -- again just moments away from the inaugural ceremony getting under way.
For Democrats, Carlos, to hear the governor say he wants to borrow -- and what we're hearing is 20, 30-some odd billion dollars to get California out of debt -- is this something the Democrats going to go along with?
WATSON: You've already seen a fight begin. The state treasurer Phil Angelites (ph) and the state controller, Steve Wesley (ph), both Democrats have pushed back and said before you start talking about borrowing, let's start about fixing the fundamental year to year structural deficit which right now totals about $13 or $14 billion a year.
But I think you're going to see a number of cuts across the board and the most difficult once will probably be in education. I think there also will be a push to if not, quote, unquote "raise taxes" because he said he won't do it. I think he'll do what George Deukmejian did when he came into office and he'll close corporate loopholes and in a sense, raise taxes that way on corporations.
but one way or another they a lot of money to be made up. They'll is also turn to the federal government. And expect, Judy, a big announcement in the next 14 days from the Schwarzenegger administration about help from President Bush.
WOODRUFF: Well that would make news, especially in this time when Washington is short on cash as well. Carlos and Julie are going to be with us through the ceremony.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
