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American Morning
11 Months Ago Gray Davis Won Second Term as Governor
Aired October 07, 2003 - 07:33 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It was only last November, 11 short months ago, that Gray Davis won a second term as governor. He won by a slim margin in a bitter campaign against Republican Bill Simon. His victory short-lived. Voter attention quickly turning to the state's budget problems and the energy crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): It began very quietly back in early February, an unknown anti-tax activist announced his intention to recall Governor Gray Davis.
Ted Costa said his aim was to improve California budget problems.
TED COSTA, ANTI-TAX ACTIVIST: It just cannot go on another three and a half years.
HEMMER: No one seemed to take much notice, at least until California State Congressman Darrell Issa decided to donate $1.7 million to help collect the 900,000 signatures needed.
REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: This was never about higher office. It was about higher obligation.
HEMMER: That did the trick. By late July, Issa's group had enough signatures to force a recall and the date was set for October 7. The once sleepy recall suddenly went into over drive with 135 names on the final ballot, including a porn star, a child actor and the actor turned politician.
With just two weeks to go, the top contenders to replace Davis faced off in the only debate to include Schwarzenegger, and he was clearly the target.
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON (I), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: You know, this is completely impolite. This is the way you treat women, we know that. But not now.
HEMMER: And Schwarzenegger gave as good as he got.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Arianna, let me just say one thing.
HUFFINGTON: You adopted -- let me just finish.
SCHWARZENEGGER: You personally, your personal income taxes have the biggest loophole. I can drive my Hummer through it, that's how big the loophole is.
HEMMER: When the smoke cleared, the running man was clearly the man to beat. Then came reports of past indiscretions by Schwarzenegger toward women.
SCHWARZENEGGER: And to those people that I have offended, I want to say to them, I am deeply sorry about that and I apologize.
HEMMER: Meanwhile, the candidate whose job is on the line today is confident he will survive.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: The recent tracking polls, private polls by both candidates, show this race closing dramatically. It's almost a dead even race right now and I believe all the momentum is on our side.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Gray Davis last interview there, Sunday night with Larry King.
A few hours away right now, Californians go to the polls in the much anticipated recall election. Coverage throughout the morning and the day here.
Let's start with two reports. It is early in Los Angeles, 4:35 a.m.
Kelly Wallace at the Schwarzenegger campaign headquarters. Charles Feldman at the Davis headquarters.
Let's start there with Kelly -- good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Very quiet here. Just a few volunteers getting ready for what they hope will be a victory celebration tonight. Schwarzenegger's aides remain confident. They believe despite the allegations of sexual misconduct and what the Schwarzenegger team is calling a dirty politics campaign, that the actor turned candidate will ultimately prevail. Now, Schwarzenegger's strategy over the past two days wrapping up this campaign -- make no mention of the controversies and surround himself with women, including his wife, Maria Shriver, and try to frame this as a referendum on Governor Gray Davis, not on Arnold Schwarzenegger's character.
Republicans say they have been working heavily on a get out the vote effort. They have sent two million phone messages to households around California urging people to get out to vote and the candidate himself will be voting about four hours from now. Fair to say, Bill, it will be the first time Arnold Schwarzenegger will be voting for himself in an election -- Bill.
HEMMER: Kelly, thanks.
Let's check in with Charles Feldman right now -- what's happening there, Charles?
Good morning.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Here it's still quite, of course, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Gray Davis yesterday went all over the State of California, his last day of campaigning. His strategy is to convince voters that despite the fact that there are 135 names on the ballot, the race is essentially one between Governor Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And the governor is hoping that organized labor, long time a friend of the Democratic Party in the state, will get out the vote in a heavy way and will end up in a defeat of the recall motion.
The governor himself is going to vote later this morning. Not expected here at the hotel until later this evening. And then, Bill, this will either be a place for a victory party or the hotel's fax machines will be busy with the sound of resumes going out -- Bill.
HEMMER: Charles, thanks.
Charles Feldman watching the Davis camp, Kelly Wallace watching the Schwarzenegger camp.
You can get all the latest information later tonight on our Web site once the polls close there, cnn.com/recall. In fact, if you want to get some background, we're there for you right now. The latest results start live here on CNN at 11:00 Eastern later tonight, 8:00 in California. Wolf will be in L.A. and make sure you join us tomorrow here on AMERICAN MORNING. I'll be in L.A. then to catch the fallout the day after the big vote.
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 7, 2003 - 07:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It was only last November, 11 short months ago, that Gray Davis won a second term as governor. He won by a slim margin in a bitter campaign against Republican Bill Simon. His victory short-lived. Voter attention quickly turning to the state's budget problems and the energy crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): It began very quietly back in early February, an unknown anti-tax activist announced his intention to recall Governor Gray Davis.
Ted Costa said his aim was to improve California budget problems.
TED COSTA, ANTI-TAX ACTIVIST: It just cannot go on another three and a half years.
HEMMER: No one seemed to take much notice, at least until California State Congressman Darrell Issa decided to donate $1.7 million to help collect the 900,000 signatures needed.
REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: This was never about higher office. It was about higher obligation.
HEMMER: That did the trick. By late July, Issa's group had enough signatures to force a recall and the date was set for October 7. The once sleepy recall suddenly went into over drive with 135 names on the final ballot, including a porn star, a child actor and the actor turned politician.
With just two weeks to go, the top contenders to replace Davis faced off in the only debate to include Schwarzenegger, and he was clearly the target.
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON (I), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: You know, this is completely impolite. This is the way you treat women, we know that. But not now.
HEMMER: And Schwarzenegger gave as good as he got.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Arianna, let me just say one thing.
HUFFINGTON: You adopted -- let me just finish.
SCHWARZENEGGER: You personally, your personal income taxes have the biggest loophole. I can drive my Hummer through it, that's how big the loophole is.
HEMMER: When the smoke cleared, the running man was clearly the man to beat. Then came reports of past indiscretions by Schwarzenegger toward women.
SCHWARZENEGGER: And to those people that I have offended, I want to say to them, I am deeply sorry about that and I apologize.
HEMMER: Meanwhile, the candidate whose job is on the line today is confident he will survive.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: The recent tracking polls, private polls by both candidates, show this race closing dramatically. It's almost a dead even race right now and I believe all the momentum is on our side.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Gray Davis last interview there, Sunday night with Larry King.
A few hours away right now, Californians go to the polls in the much anticipated recall election. Coverage throughout the morning and the day here.
Let's start with two reports. It is early in Los Angeles, 4:35 a.m.
Kelly Wallace at the Schwarzenegger campaign headquarters. Charles Feldman at the Davis headquarters.
Let's start there with Kelly -- good morning.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Very quiet here. Just a few volunteers getting ready for what they hope will be a victory celebration tonight. Schwarzenegger's aides remain confident. They believe despite the allegations of sexual misconduct and what the Schwarzenegger team is calling a dirty politics campaign, that the actor turned candidate will ultimately prevail. Now, Schwarzenegger's strategy over the past two days wrapping up this campaign -- make no mention of the controversies and surround himself with women, including his wife, Maria Shriver, and try to frame this as a referendum on Governor Gray Davis, not on Arnold Schwarzenegger's character.
Republicans say they have been working heavily on a get out the vote effort. They have sent two million phone messages to households around California urging people to get out to vote and the candidate himself will be voting about four hours from now. Fair to say, Bill, it will be the first time Arnold Schwarzenegger will be voting for himself in an election -- Bill.
HEMMER: Kelly, thanks.
Let's check in with Charles Feldman right now -- what's happening there, Charles?
Good morning.
CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Here it's still quite, of course, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Gray Davis yesterday went all over the State of California, his last day of campaigning. His strategy is to convince voters that despite the fact that there are 135 names on the ballot, the race is essentially one between Governor Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And the governor is hoping that organized labor, long time a friend of the Democratic Party in the state, will get out the vote in a heavy way and will end up in a defeat of the recall motion.
The governor himself is going to vote later this morning. Not expected here at the hotel until later this evening. And then, Bill, this will either be a place for a victory party or the hotel's fax machines will be busy with the sound of resumes going out -- Bill.
HEMMER: Charles, thanks.
Charles Feldman watching the Davis camp, Kelly Wallace watching the Schwarzenegger camp.
You can get all the latest information later tonight on our Web site once the polls close there, cnn.com/recall. In fact, if you want to get some background, we're there for you right now. The latest results start live here on CNN at 11:00 Eastern later tonight, 8:00 in California. Wolf will be in L.A. and make sure you join us tomorrow here on AMERICAN MORNING. I'll be in L.A. then to catch the fallout the day after the big vote.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
