Issa: McClintock Promised, 'I Won't be a Spoiler'

NewsMax.com ^ | 9/24/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Before the California recall race got under way, gubernatorial candidate Tom McClintock made a private pledge to step aside if his campaign threatened to spoil Republican chances to take power in Sacramento.

That was the bombshell revelation yesterday from the driving force behind the recall movement, Rep. Darryl Issa, who described to nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity a conversation he had with the conservative favorite several months ago.

"When I talked to Tom even before he got in, he told me a couple of things that when you have these kind of conversations you never forget," Issa told Hannity.

"He said, 'Look, I'm not going to be in this race if it's not a crowded field. I know the numbers for a conservative. And I'm not going to stay in and be a spoiler.'"

"Those are two quotes that he told me directly over the phone," Issa claimed. He then pointed out, "It was a crowded field, it's no longer a crowded field. And he does have to make ... a tough decision."

The Republican congressman predicted that McClintock would ultimately keep his word.

"Tom McClintock, if the numbers stay where they are, has an opportunity to be the hero," Issa told Hannity. "He has the chance to be a real hero and I believe that he is a good man and he will take that chance at the right time."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
California Governor's Race

[skeeter]

Just said I don't think it's equal.

LOL. I wish I bookmarked another recall thread I just left, where some of your friends are right now complaining about the lack of McC supporters to abuse.

[CyberCowboy777]

You are talking about a very small percentage of the far right.

I am a hard core Christian Conservative - I have voted for Libertarians and Constitution party candidates.

Yet I would vote for Arnold - in the circumstances we now see ourselves.

You comments may well be directed towards those further back than I - but you are screaming in my face in your effort to get the message to them. That 1% is not worth it and I am tired of spit in my face! ;~)

Follow Arnolds lead.

[zbigreddogz]

Oh, and while I'm at it, can any of these 'principled social conservatives' justify throwing their vote away on McClintock and handing it over to Bustamove when Bustamove is against parental notification and is for partial birth abortion, while Arnold is for parental notification and against partial birth abortion?

If you want to potentially save the lives of babies, vote for Arnold. If you don't, piss your vote away on McClintock.

[68 grunt]

Thank you. Agreement.

[68 grunt]

<>You push anyone hard enough and eventually they will push back.

Can't say I disagree.

[MeekOneGOP]

Well, I hope McClintock does the right thing and bows out in the next few days ...

The Republican congressman predicted that McClintock would ultimately keep his word.

"Tom McClintock, if the numbers stay where they are, has an opportunity to be the hero," Issa told Hannity. "He has the chance to be a real hero and I believe that he is a good man and he will take that chance at the right time."

[cake_crumb]

"You back them up and prick the pride and it is only human to lash out - Arnold does not need that."

Neither side does. You and I probably believe that Tom has no chance to win...but there is still the hope of salvagine his chances of winning some other higher office. At the moment, I'm trying to concentrate on that.

[68 grunt]

Nope, I'm doing a vigilante bit on these threads and trying only to be impolite in return to impoliteness. I stay off the pro-McX threads, and it wasn't until last week that I snapped and started attacking him as a man. I would be more than happy to lurk, but I'm doing this for a reason. I want to be the lightning rod and have the x-temes desposit all their hate on me and leave the other FReepers untainted, so hopefully we can unify again, soon.

[NathanR]

Oh man...this is quite the contradiction to his statements to Hannity that he would NOT drop out even if he were still behind and his staying in would hand the governorship to Busty.

That was then (when he talked to Issa) and this is now.

Roger Hedgecock (standing in for Rush) said something, just a few minutes ago. He said that, Tom hates Pete Wilson's guts. This hatred is both personnal and political, and Pete Wilson is in charge of Arnold's campaign. (Pete Wilson has personally made sure that Tom gets no money from the state GOP.)

[ambrose]

Your boy Issa is the biggest spoiler of all. He threatened to lead a campaign against the recall unless Tom dropped out of the race.

[Tamzee]

I want to be the lightning rod and have the x-temes desposit all their hate on me and leave the other FReepers untainted, so hopefully we can unify again, soon.

I can attest to that... I've been on the threads where Arnold supporters were getting bashed furiously and watched 68 slip in and bait the nastiest posters to go after him. He's a beloved hero to many of us :-)

[DoctorZIn]

Your One Stop Resource For All The California Recall News!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

[68 grunt]

Thank you, Tamsey. I truly appreciate it.

[CyberCowboy777]

I don't know what to say.

How very sad and juvenile.

I can only hope this election will be decided outside the will of the shrills and baiters on both sides.

[Tamzee]

So do we... we just get worried when we see you taking heavy fire and the other side is trying to dispatch nukes, to boot ;-)

[68 grunt]

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

- Frank Herbert, Litany Against Fear - "Dune"

[Brian Allen]

<< Well, I hope McClintock does the right thing and bows out in the next few days ... >>

I hope so, too.

Although, his future moves notwithstanding, his life as a California Republican is all but over.

Pity.

For God knows he'd have had the support of every last one of us.

If he wasn't an unelectable career-politician part of California's DemocRepublicrat political machine and -- as his recent one-armed-bandit-Bustemental-boosting actions have sheeted home -- an abjectly-unprincipled self-serving part at that!

Best ones -- Brian

[Tamzee]

Some folks on both sides are over-the-top, but it is just a loud and abusive few. Additionally, there was a thread found over at DU where some liberals were coordinating efforts to come over here as McClintock supporters to deepen the divide and hostility among Freepers. I think I had a nasty run-in with one of them, later that day the poster was banned. It makes it even more difficult to determine if you are debating with a genuine concerned conservative or someone baiting to deliberately cause strife. It will definitely be a relief when it is over.

I also appreciated your comments above regarding supporting Arnold to help ensure a solid victory over Cruz. I hadn't thought about the ACLU trying to appeal a GOP win, but it really does look like they would do that given past history :-(

[Tamzee]

I like that quote, it's beautiful. Thank you :-)

[Maelstrom]

No, Arnold isn't a compromise, he's a surrender.