Inside Politics - Transcript

JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS

SCHNEIDER: Ueberroth is a Republican but he was campaigning as an independent. His 5 percent will probably get split up and not make a decisive difference. But McClintock's 13 percent could make a decisive difference, just as women voters already do—Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right. Bill Schneider, looking at all the numbers.

And in light of those latest numbers and Peter Ueberroth's decision to call it quits, Republicans likely to step up their calls for Tom McClintock to also drop out and give Arnold Schwarzenegger a clearer shot at winning.

Well, State Senator Tom McClintock is with us now from Sacramento.

Senator McClintock, first it was Bill Simon. Today, it's Peter Ueberroth. Are you next to drop out?

TOM MCCLINTOCK ®, CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: Oh, no I'm in this race right to the finish line, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, you say that and yet Peter Ueberroth was saying right up until the moment he got out he was saying he's in the race till the end. How do you know for sure what you're going to do?

MCCLINTOCK: Judy, what is it about the word no that you guys don't understand?

(LAUGHTER)

MCCLINTOCK: If you can come up with a more unequivocal line for me, I'll be happy to use it. I'm in the race to the finish line.

WOODRUFF: That's a Shermanesque statement.

MCCLINTOCK: Thank you.

WOODRUFF: All right. I was asked—that meant to be with a question mark.

But let me ask you to look at the poll that we just looked at. With you in the race, Arnold Schwarzenegger is running a little behind Cruz Bustamante. When you take your name out of the race, Arnold Schwarzenegger pulls ahead. So in effect, you are in a position of denying a Republican the statehouse?

MCCLINTOCK: Oh, on the contrary, Judy. The election is not today. The election is fully a month from now.

We're only halfway through this race. And in that period of time, I have shown the most dramatic momentum. If the momentum we've had during the first half of this race continues into the second half, I'll be in the winner's circle election night. That's why we call it a race.

I'm very saddened to see Peter Ueberroth's departure from the campaign. He was an exceptionally well qualified and serious candidate. Peter Ueberroth's supporters are all very serious voters who were supporting a serious candidate. It's my hope that they will migrate to my campaign. Those are folks who are looking for somebody who is well grounded in public policy. And who has very precise and—and clear ideas of how to restore California's economy.

WOODRUFF: But what do you say to those Republicans in your state who say we like Tom McClintock. He's a nice guy. But Arnold Schwarzenegger is our ticket to the governorship.

MCCLINTOCK: Well, again, the race is only half run. And in that half, we've been gaining ground very, very dramatically. Just stay tuned for the second half of the race. And then the voters will make a decision.

WOODRUFF: Have any Republicans asked you to get out?

MCCLINTOCK: I keep reading that the pressure is growing in the newspapers. And if pressure is growing, that means I must be gaining.

(LAUGHTER)

WOODRUFF: We just heard Peter Ueberroth say that he's going to talk to you and the other candidates about jobs. What are you going to say to him in a nutshell that you want to do to keep jobs in California?

MCCLINTOCK: Well, what I've been saying since the beginning of this race that within moments of taking the oath of office, I'll rescind the governor's tripling of the car tax, I'll act to void the $42 billion of outrageously overpriced electricity contracts that Davis locked us into, and then I'll call a special session of the legislature to replace our worker's compensation law with Arizona's and bring our workers' compensation costs down by two-thirds. That can all be done before lunch of the first day of this new administration and it will be.

WOODRUFF: You make it sound very simple. Is it that simple?

MCCLINTOCK: Yes. This is all a question of public policy.

What has happened to California is not because of some act of God that struck our state down. It is entirely because of very stupid acts of government. And that's what we have the opportunity to change 28 days from now.

WOODRUFF: Let me ask you quickly about Latino voters. As you know they make up a large part of California's population. Many of them are in favor of this bill that was signed very recently by Governor Davis that allows illegal immigrants to have a driver's license.

You have said that you would veto—you would get rid of that legislation. Aren't you worried about the support of Latinos, though?

MCCLINTOCK: No, look, Latino voters pay the same tripled car tax, they pay the same electricity prices. They're losing jobs just as every other Californian is to spiralling workers' compensation costs. These—this is—there are not issues that divide us. These are issues that unite us as Californians.

Yes, I am opposed to SB-60 which would provide a California driver's license for illegal immigrants. I think that that destroys the validity of the driver's license as proof of legal residency for the millions of Californians who currently hold one. But the issues—the overriding issues in this campaign for every Californian, all come down to this. What is our future in California going to be like if we continue another three years down this road with the policies of this regime?

WOODRUFF: Tom McClintock joining us from Sacramento with a Shermanesque statement. He's not getting no matter what.

Good to see you. Thanks very much for talking with us.

MCCLINTOCK: Thanks for having me.

WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.

WOODRUFF: INSIDE POLITICS will be right back.