CNNFN Lou Dobbs Tonight - Transcript

CNNFN

SHOW: LOU DOBBS TONIGHT 06:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

HEADLINE: LOU DOBBS TONIGHT; CNNfn

GUESTS: Ted Strickland, Tom McClintock, Arianna Huffington

BYLINE: Lou Dobbs, Barbara Starr, Dan Rivers, Peter Viles, Bill Tucker, Bill Schneider, Dana Bash, Lisa Sylvester, Christine Romans

BODY:
DOBBS: Returning now to one of our top stories, the California recall. My next guest says Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign has no substance. Republican State Senator Tom McClintock is also running to replace Governor Gray Davis. And the latest CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll finds him in third place behind Schwarzenegger and the lieutenant governor, a democrat, Cruz Bustamante. State Senator Tom McClintock joins us now from Sacramento.

Good to have you with us.

TOM MCCLINTOCK ®, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE: Thanks for having me, Lou.

DOBBS: Every poll we're looking at, you're doing pretty well, I guess all things considered, against someone as powerful in terms of name recognition as Arnold Schwarzenegger. He appears to be the man to beat. But we haven't even decided yet, in the state of California, at least, whether or not to replace Gray Davis. You've got a number of hurdles to cross, don't you?

MCCLINTOCK: Well, I think the people have already formed their opinion on Gray Davis and it's not going to change. He will cease to be the governor of California in 57 days. And the only question now is who will replace him? I know there's a great deal that Arnold Schwarzenegger could teach me about making movies. There's a great deal I could teach him about the fiscal reforms that are needed - desperately needed to set California back in good order.

But there's no time for training. The new governor will take office as soon as the last ballot is counted. I think you'll find the people of California are riveted on public policy issues in this state like never before, and for good reason, their futures depend on it. And ultimately, I think it will be policies and not personality that decides the election.

DOBBS: Well, that is a cry of optimism in what is a very confusing field of candidates right now, if I may say, Senator. You say you can teach the Terminator man about fiscal policy. You've got 60 days to do it. You certainly have the opportunity. Do you really think Californians are going to sit still and listen to real debate, real substantive debate, about fiscal issues in this election, because right now, with about two months to go, it sure looks like just another beauty contest?

MCCLINTOCK: Well, I don't think the national media realizes what's going on here in California. They tend to focus on all of the eccentricities of some of the colorful candidates. But what you're seeing in California is an awful lot of citizens realizing that it's fight or flight time. A lot are fleeing. You're seeing the job numbers leaving California.

Many more are realizing that this state is worth staying and fighting for. And so they are engaged like never before. And as I said, you're going—you're seeing a very serious rising to the occasion of a lot of people who haven't been involved in politics before. This is not about the eccentric personalities. This is about the future of California.

DOBBS: Well, I can understand why you say it's not about personalities, it's about the future of the state of California. Those two things are not necessarily contradictory. The $38 billion deficit for that state, and as you suggest, a beautiful state, a wonderful place to live, but with all that's happening, do you really believe that the Californians are right now prepared to take on the issues, because they had a governor that left them $12 billion in surplus before Gray Davis, and watched as the legislature and the governor took that to a $38 billion deficit?

MCCLINTOCK: Well, exactly right. What's happened to California is not because of some terrible act of God striking down the state. It's because of very stupid acts of government. And that's what we have the opportunity to change. The very first act I will undertake, the moment that the oath of office is administered, is to rescind the governor's tripling of the car tax. Next, I'll go into court and void the $42 billion of outrageously overpriced electricity contracts that this governor locked us into. And then I will call a special session of the state legislature to rescind our workers' compensation law and replace it with Arizona's, bringing down the cost of workers' compensation in California by two-thirds. All of that can be done before lunch if the governor is willing to act. And I am and I will.

You are willing to act and you will. But do you think it is entirely fair not to consider the California legislature as part of the problem in this fiscal mismanagement of that state?

MCCLINTOCK: Yes, it is, but there's a great deal that the governor can do quite independently of a legislature, starting with the rescinding the of the car tax. That requires no legislative action. That's an executive order of the governor. With respect to the electricity contracts, once again, all that needs to be done is to stipulate to the facts that we are involved in the negotiation of those contracts.

It was a clear legal conflict of interest that the governor will not admit to because it would require him to admit wrongdoing. I will stipulate to those facts and we will void those contracts. You're right, the workers' compensation reform will require legislative action. I'll give them 30 days to act. And if they fail to do so, I'll take the issue to the ballot and let them explain to the voters why they failed to act while our job market was collapsing.

DOBBS: And let me ask you this, Senator, a couple of other issues which have arisen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in relation to Proposition 187 in 1994, supporting it. Did you support it?

MCCLINTOCK: I supported it. I campaigned for it. I actually ran radio ads in support of it up and down California.

DOBBS: Would you like to see that proposition, that is, denying health care to illegal immigrants in California, resurrected?

MCCLINTOCK: I believe that Proposition 187 never had a fair day in court. When it was challenged, this governor's responsibility was to defend the will of the people of California. He refused to do so, 187 has never had a fair day in court. I intend to see that it gets one.

DOBBS: And the color blind initiative in California, do you support that as well, because that's going to be on the ballot with you?

MCCLINTOCK: I do. I believe that this government should be color blind. I don't believe that the color of a person's skin should make any difference in the way they're treated by their government.

DOBBS: Senator Tom McClintock, we thank you very much for spending some of your, I know, precious time right now as you're in a 60-day race for governor. We thank you very much, sir.

MCCLINTOCK: It's my pleasure, Lou. Thanks for having me.