Unlikely duo (Bustamante & Mcclintock) tag teams Schwarzenegger as attention turns to court

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Sept. 19, 2003 | JIM WASSERMAN

[FairOpinion]

As they raced toward a finish line that may only be a mirage, an unlikely duo emerged Thursday: Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the only prominent Democrat in the race, and conservative Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock.

The pair tag-teamed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and threatened to boycott the one debate the actor plans to attend -- one in which the questions were already made public. The two said they supported sending a letter to the California Broadcasters Association opposing a scripted format.

The unusual alliance by Schwarzenegger's fellow front-runners undercut any sign of GOP unity less than a week after the party's convention and illustrated claims by McClintock -- gaining on the action-hero in the latest polls -- that he's in the race until the finish.

The two-front attack came as Bustamante and McClintock tried to dodge criticism for taking American Indian casino money -- something Schwarzenegger has vowed to reject so he isn't beholden to special interests.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians was set to begin airing McClintock TV ads Friday. Schwarzenegger complained that the ads would divide Republicans.

"They want to interfere with the process so Bustamante wins," Schwarzenegger said. "So he has to decide which side he's on, Republicans or Bustamante."

McClintock said the actor's statement was ridiculous and that he hadn't been contacted by the tribe and had only heard rumors they planned to spend money on his behalf.

Bustamante has taken money from the Morongos in the past and his campaign was in court Thursday defending millions of dollars pledged from tribes and labor groups that were slipped through a campaign finance loophole.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Makes me believe that if someone can't come around to loosen the straps, that they have to type with their nose.

[Sabertooth]

It ain't just gardeners, Saberkitty. Construction workers and truck drivers are some of the worst I've encountered.

Agreed, but I was responding to a question about gardeners.

Obviously, just deporting Illegals won't make this type of behavior disappear, but reasserting the rule of law won't hurt.

The fact remains, Illegals perpetrate a disproportionate amount of the crime in California, including sex offenses.

[Sabertooth]

I'm sorry. Being from the Old South, I've heard this kind of talk before. It gives me the "To Kill a Mockingbird" creeps.

Not analogous.

To presume that blacks weren't interested in conducting themselves according to the norms of our society is racial prejudice.

Illegals are by definition not interested in conducting themselves according to the norms of our society.

[MeekOneGOP]

ROFL !! I love it ! Thanks ...

[Tamzee]

My second thought is, It's going to be interesting to see how the scorched-earthers here find ANY way to rationalize this.

My guess is they are in the kitchen frantically whipping up more beverages ;-)

[BibChr]

You're so bad.

<c;

[FairOpinion]

"Your candidate needs and must have the support of McClintock's voters. So you go about getting them with an attack on McClintock. "

---

For the longest time pretty much nobody said anything bad about McClintock, except that he could walk on water and still not win, because of the California demographics.

I used to think that he was a great guy, good conservative ideas, just not electable for the above reason.

The latest FACTS PROVE otherwise.

What good conservative actually consorts with the Dem opponent we are trying to unseat, against your fellow Republican? Yet, that is what he is doing: signing a JOINT letter WITH Bustamante, taking Indian gaming money and his admission to Burton, that he (McC) thought that it was OK to have Bustamante win this election, because he will destroy CA and would give him, McC a better chance to win.

He is putting his personal ambition above the party AND the wellbeing of California, teetering on the brink.

If I had supported a candidate and found this out about him, I would most certainly not continue supporting him.

====
Burton, one of the more conservative members of Congress, also said McClintock had seemed to suggest that it would be acceptable for a Democrat to hold the governor's office, because he might create a clamor for a Republican in 2006.

He said McClintock had drawn a historical parallel to the 1980 presidential election, when Republican Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, en route to a two-term presidency.

"I was saying I hated to see the Democrats and especially Gray Davis keep control, and Bustamante may want to give California back to Mexico — I said that tongue in cheek," Burton said, referring to the incumbent Davis and to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. "And he said we had four years of Jimmy Carter and eight years of Ronald Reagan and that was a fair exchange. And the implication was maybe that leaving the Democrats in would show that they can't govern properly."


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/985238/posts

It was supposed to be all about "pure conservatism".
I don't see how any "pure conservative" can support someone who sells out to the enemy for personal gain.

One would think that all McC supporters would be doing a "mea culpa" and switch their support to the Republican candidate who IS fiscally conservative and CAN stop the Dem machinery and turn CA around.

The whole objective of the recall was to get rid of Davis (AND Bustamante), NOT to RECONFIRM them.

[FairOpinion]

Which part of "McC is signing a JOINT letter with Bustamante" don't you understand? He is not even sending a separate letter, he agreed to sign Bustamante's letter, sight unseen..

Even Arianna and Camejo didn't agree to that.

"Aides to Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock said they agreed to send jointly a letter to the California Broadcasters Association asking for the format change.

Aides to Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and independent Arianna Huffington were also on a conference call to discuss the letter. Camejo said later he was undecided, and Huffington's communications director said the campaign was waiting to see the letter before committing.

Bustamante, McClintock (team up) threaten to quit debate (joint letter demanding rules be changed)

[FairOpinion]

McC told Burton is so many words, that he would rather see Bustamante elected.

"Burton, one of the more conservative members of Congress, also said McClintock had seemed to suggest that it would be acceptable for a Democrat to hold the governor's office, because he might create a clamor for a Republican in 2006.

He said McClintock had drawn a historical parallel to the 1980 presidential election, when Republican Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, en route to a two-term presidency.

"I was saying I hated to see the Democrats and especially Gray Davis keep control, and Bustamante may want to give California back to Mexico — I said that tongue in cheek," Burton said, referring to the incumbent Davis and to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. "And he said we had four years of Jimmy Carter and eight years of Ronald Reagan and that was a fair exchange. And the implication was maybe that leaving the Democrats in would show that they can't govern properly."

A Phone Call in Need of Instant Replay (Sen. Burton calls McClintock -- what really happened)

[FairOpinion]

"So, you are saying that siding with the enemy is okay, if in the end you get your own way? "

===

Siding with the enemy is usually called treason, or at least betrayal.

The McClintock supporters were claiming "purity", now it turns out it is fanatism and a personal cult. No true principled conservative would continue to support and defend someone who is openly consorting with our enemies, who are destroying California.

How does McC want Californians to vote for him, when he is selling us all down the river, by consciously working to get Bustamante elected.

His own actions and words damn him.

====
"Burton, one of the more conservative members of Congress, also said McClintock had seemed to suggest that it would be acceptable for a Democrat to hold the governor's office, because he might create a clamor for a Republican in 2006.

He said McClintock had drawn a historical parallel to the 1980 presidential election, when Republican Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, en route to a two-term presidency.

"I was saying I hated to see the Democrats and especially Gray Davis keep control, and Bustamante may want to give California back to Mexico — I said that tongue in cheek," Burton said, referring to the incumbent Davis and to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. "And he said we had four years of Jimmy Carter and eight years of Ronald Reagan and that was a fair exchange. And the implication was maybe that leaving the Democrats in would show that they can't govern properly."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/985238/posts

[FairOpinion]

Here is something stupider:
Allowing Bustamante to win.
Apparently, appeals to logic, and reason - and part loyalty have NOT worked so far. So it's time to take off the kid gloves, and go for some more POWERFUL means of persuation.
Call it "tough love" or an "intervention" - or even "going negative," but Arnold needs to crack the allegiance of the McClintock "death wish" crowd SOMEHOW - to save California from a fate worse than Gray...

====

EXACTLY!!!

[FairOpinion]

This article(and its agenda) notwithstanding,what happened was all the candidates favor sending the letter to the CBA. Arnold was not 'piled on', he was invited to sign the letter as well.
Not quite the TM/CB alliance the article claims.

---

You are mistaken or are in denial.


McClintock JUMPED at the chance and agreed to sign BUSTAMANTE's LETTER SIGHT UNSEEN. Even Arianna and the Green Party candidate didn't agree to that, they said, they will take it under consideration and wanted to see the letter first.
===
Aides to Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock said they agreed to send jointly a letter to the California Broadcasters Association asking for the format change.

Aides to Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and independent Arianna Huffington were also on a conference call to discuss the letter. Camejo said later he was undecided, and Huffington's communications director said the campaign was waiting to see the letter before committing.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/985257/posts


And the article in this thread clearly shows that to anyone who is a thinking person, this is a CLEAR ALLIANCE between Cruz and Tom.

===
an unlikely duo emerged Thursday: Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the only prominent Democrat in the race, and conservative Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock.

The pair tag-teamed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger

The unusual alliance by Schwarzenegger's fellow front-runners undercut any sign of GOP unity
====

Why isn't Tom working with Arnold and tag-teaming Bustamante? So far Tom has spent all his time attacking Arnold, but not Bustamante.

Arnold has the right to ask "Whose side is Tom really on?"

[skeeter]

Who's side indeed.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/985440/posts

[Sabertooth]

Which part of "McC is signing a JOINT letter with Bustamante" don't you understand? He is not even sending a separate letter, he agreed to sign Bustamante's letter, sight unseen..

Even Arianna and Camejo didn't agree to that.

"Aides to Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock said they agreed to send jointly a letter to the California Broadcasters Association asking for the format change.

Aides to Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and independent Arianna Huffington were also on a conference call to discuss the letter. Camejo said later he was undecided, and Huffington's communications director said the campaign was waiting to see the letter before committing.

Bustamante, McClintock (team up) threaten to quit debate (joint letter demanding rules be changed)

Let's take a look at the totality of the excerpt, shall we?

Aides to Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock said they agreed to send jointly a letter to the California Broadcasters Association asking for the format change.

The letter will state that the candidates will not debate unless the CBA changes the format for the Sept. 24 forum, which involves giving candidates questions in advance, they said.

"In principle it says that we have objected to the scripted what they're calling a debate -- which is not, which is unfair to call it a debate -- and we will not attend if they continue it in the same format," said McClintock campaign director John Feliz.

"The content of the letter is basically informing CBA of our unwillingness to participate in a scripted format and asking that they revise the format," said Bustamante consultant Richie Ross.

"We're informing them that we're not participating in a scripted format."

Aides to Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and independent Arianna Huffington were also on a conference call to discuss the letter. Camejo said later he was undecided, and Huffington's communications director said the campaign was waiting to see the letter before committing.

You snipped out the middle four paragraphs, without acknowledging you'd done so, to justapose the two "Aides" paragraphs in what I believe could be an incorrect context.

It's not clear to me that the Camejo and Huffington aides were part of the original conversation, since we read of them in the context of "a conference call to discuss the letter" not the conference call." I don't know at this point what's going on with them.

You are also quoting yourself when you say "McC is signing a JOINT letter with Bustamante," then you characterize the letter as "Bustamante's letter, sight unseen." Where are either of these things mentioned in the article, or the excerpts?

What I see are unnamed sources, saying that aides of the McClintock and Bustamante campaigns have agreed on the sending of a letter regarding the September 24th debate.

This is electioneering.

McClinotck believes that this is a three way race. He's trying to win.

Arnold's trying to win. He thought that ducking debates was a good strategy. Others are trying to turn that strategy against him.

I don't necessarily agree with either of these strategies. I'm a big fan on debates, and look askance of play-it-safe front-runner debat-ducking strategies.

I realize this letter business is pissing you off, but I think you have to concede that this would all be moot if Schwarzenegger was doing a better job of appealing to those voters who prefer McClintock.

[Common Tator]

What good conservative actually consorts with the Dem opponent we are trying to unseat, against your fellow Republican? Yet, that is what he is doing: signing a JOINT letter WITH Bustamante, taking Indian gaming money and his admission to Burton, that he (McC) thought that it was OK to have Bustamante win this election, because he will destroy CA and would give him, McC a better chance to win.

He is putting his personal ambition above the party AND the wellbeing of California, teetering on the brink.

If I had supported a candidate and found this out about him, I would most certainly not continue

I agree with McClintock. The only chance Republicans have is for Bustamante to win. Right now the recall has removed all blame for the proplems from Democrats. If the recall had not been done by Idiot Republicans, the Democrats would have needed to do it themselves. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is what people like you do best. Unless Democrats take the blame, nothing in California will change. Arnie if elected will turn sharp left to survive and there will be no recognizable differnce between a Bustamante adminstration and an Arnie Administration... except Bustamante will have Republican opposition and Arnie will not. You don't believe that... I hope you don't live to see it come true.

Arnie should not be surprised that since he refuses to debate with out knowing the questions first, that the other candidates will gang up on him. I would remind you that Reagan would debate any where any time. In 1980 he even debated minor candidate John Anderson when Jimmmy Carter refused to show. What part of Arnie is a coward fails to make a dint in your head. And as Reagan said when he was accused of taking money from shady organizations. They are signing on to my agenda.. I am not signing on to theirs.

To be consistant you will have to condem Ronald Reagan for doing exactly what you accuse McClintock of doing. Will you do that? I didn't think so.

But even if you believe in Arnie, you are gnorant of how voters react to negative attacks. You are doing exactly what it takes to have Gray Davis win the recall.

You are doing what sells you. YOu keep saying it. That is just plain stupid. It is something no trained politician would ever do.

Anyone who has been around politics more than half an hour knows negative attacks like you make on McClintock will not, even if believed, get McClintock voters to vote for Arnie. They will cause McClintocks voters to not vote at all. Negative attacks are used to reduce the turn out for the person attacked. If only 20 percent of the turn out is made up of Republicans... Davis wins the recall. You are doing your best to make that happen by causing the McClintock voters NOT TO VOTE. Pure ignorance!!!!.

The object of the Bush DUI attack in 2000 was not to get people to vote for GORE. It was to get people who would have normally voted for Bush to not vote at all. It very nearly cost Bush Florida and reduced his lead in Ohio from 6 points to 3.

What you are doing is what I have been telling the Arnie Amatuers for weeks. The result of your actions will cause in McClintock supporters to stay away from the polls in droves. If you get enough of that done, Davis wins the recall.

You are very ignorant of the use and purpose of Negative attacks and their results.

Before trying to play this game, you should at least try to learn the game. But California people never seem to learn. That is why they nearly always lose!!! I give you Paul Simon and Arie the Amatuer!!

[FairOpinion]

"The only chance Republicans have is for Bustamante to win"

===

This is a new one! Let's have a recall, let's have a humiliating defeat, where a Democrat much worse than Davis wins, and let's call it a Republican victory, in fact, let's work hard, to make sure Bustamante wins.

Is this the great McClintock REPUBLICAN platform? I think he and his supporters seem to be registered in the wrong party.

Let's call a humiliating loss a win, therefore we can say we are winning.

This kind of attitude defies reason.

[Victoria Delsoul]

The pair tag-teamed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and threatened to boycott the one debate the actor plans to attend -- one in which the questions were already made public. The two said they supported sending a letter to the California Broadcasters Association opposing a scripted format.

BS! Why didn't they complain before, why now? They know the public wants to see Arnold. Only a handful watched and paid attention to their past interviews (probably just the tombots who post here), so McClintock and Bustamente want to boycott this debate. I don't think they are unlikely duo as this article says. They are pretty similar --they don't want the GOP to win--