Posted on 09/12/2003 5:51:28 PM PDT by ambrose
California recall election leader feeling the heat: Cruz Bustamante has slim lead among pollsters
Reuters, News Report,
Dan Whitcomb, Sep 11, 2003
LOS ANGELES - Before California's recall election, Cruz Bustamante, the state's Lieutenant Governor, was just a portly bureaucrat with little name recognition. Now he suddenly finds himself with a slim lead among pollsters and is feeling the heat.
As the latest Field poll showed Mr. Bustamante beating Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger by five percentage points (with a 4.5% margin of error), the Democrat has come under fire not only from the "Terminator" on the right but also from his rivals on the left.
Only fellow Democrat, Governor Gray Davis, the man with the most to lose from Mr. Bustamante's surging candidacy, has bitten his tongue when it comes to criticizing his second-in-command, though at times the effort to restrain himself has been palpable.
Asked this week if he thought Mr. Bustamante had stabbed him in the back by largely dropping his opposition to the Oct. 7 recall at campaign appearances, the Governor laughed and paused for a beat before responding, "You don't want to put words in my mouth."
In fact, Mr. Bustamante, who has a notoriously testy relationship with Mr. Davis, was asked to sit out the race by many in his party over fears a second Democrat on the ticket would undermine the Governor and weaken their message that the recall was an unfair power grab by Republicans.
Now the 50-year-old son of a barber, whose mother wanted him to be a priest and who won his first elective office only a decade ago, could capitalize on Mr. Davis's deep unpopularity and a split Republican vote to become California's first Latino governor in modern times.
Mr. Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and as the immediate front-runner took his lumps from the rest of the field, who said the film star had no experience in government, few original ideas and crude sentiments about women.
But Mr. Bustamante's appearance with Green Party candidate Peter Camejo and independent Arianna Huffington at a debate in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the same day the Field Poll was released, showed the career politician was now in the cross-hairs.
Ms. Huffington dug into Mr. Bustamante's voting record as a member of the California legislature, telling the mostly liberal, minority audience he was not the progressive leader he portrayed himself to be.
Among the embarrassments she unearthed was Mr. Bustamante's vote in the 1990s to take away driver's licences from illegal immigrants -- a contradiction to his current position and a touchy issue for the Latinos who make up his core constituency.
The Lieutenant Governor responded that he regretted voting for the original law, which he cast as a failed bid to stave off Proposition 187, the controversial voter-approved measure denying public services to those in the country illegally.
But Ms. Huffington had other ammunition: Mr. Bustamante had voted to "roll back" air pollution standards and deregulate the energy business, she charged.
The Greek-born columnist also pointed out he had accepted controversial donations of almost US$4-million from Indian gambling interests through a loophole in the law -- making him "the poster boy for campaign finance abuse." And the pain wasn't over for Mr. Bustamante, who was asked by a reporter to explain his apparent use of a racial epithet -- allegedly the word "nigger" -- while addressing a black trade union in 2001.
"I garbled a couple of words and people thought they heard something," he said in explanation.
He said he had quickly apologized and would never use such an incendiary term intentionally, adding, "It was a very humiliating experience."
Odd but interesting phrasing.
Allegedly? Isn't there a tape? If there is, where can I listen. This is a key point.
These people have an agenda. They want bustamante to get elected as they think doinig so will make it easier for a real conservative to take the governor's seat in 2006. That , apparently, gives no thought to how much damage cruz can or will do to this state in the next three years.
Looney, yes. But that's their plan.
And getting unsurer every day.
For those not up on internal Democrat politics, Cruz is guided by a fellow who even scares Democrats. Rumblings yesterday within the California party were aiming to sabotage Bustamante's campaign.
If the whispers are true, remembering that this advisor was the subject of a specific piece of legislation that aimed to limit his influence within the party, the party has the ammunition to scuttle Bustamante's ship.
What would be their end game? Increase the pressure on loyal party members to vote NO on part one of the recall ballot.
Like so many other Americanized Latinos, Cruz sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.
The Lieutenant Governor responded that he regretted voting for the original law, which he cast as a failed bid to stave off Proposition 187, the controversial voter-approved measure denying public services to those in the country illegally.
But Ms. Huffington had other ammunition: Mr. Bustamante had voted to "roll back" air pollution standards and deregulate the energy business, she charged.
The Greek-born columnist also pointed out he had accepted controversial donations of almost US$4-million from Indian gambling interests through a loophole in the law -- making him "the poster boy for campaign finance abuse."
As much as I (gag) hate to admit it (choke), we owe Arianna (gag) a debt of thanks for bringing this to light, since no one else seems to be genuinely interested in ferreting out Bustamante's more recent catastrophes for the public to know. But it's bitter that it has to come from her rather than a Republican.
You got it and same to you. :-)
Thanks for the ditty!
It's about all many Californians that haven;t already left this state have these days, after the globalist representatives gave everything away so we could all live together in a big happy ONe World society, and what they haven;t screwed up, the corporate raiders finish off as they collect exorbitant salaries and blame the poor people for not buying more of their stuff.. And to think most elected officials will deny anything of the sort could ever happen here .
Well, by now, the California legislature should be adjourned or close to being done giving away most of what was left.
Not much of a silver lining there, I know, but it's the best I can offer for encouragement.
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