National Public Radio's Special Election Coverage

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HEADLINE: Zoe Lofgren discusses continued strong Democratic base in California even as Republicans pick up steam there

ANCHORS: ROBERT SIEGEL

BODY:
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

More now on California. We're going to talk with California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who's in Washington, DC, this evening.

Representative Lofgren, President Bush heads for California tomorrow. Does this mean that the state of California is actually in play in November, or is it still just on the left coast of the US, where the Democrats can count on winning?

Representative ZOE LOFGREN (Democrat, California): Well, I don't think it's in play, but if the president does, I hope he comes a lot of times. I hope he spends lots of money there and doesn't spend it in the red space(ph).

SIEGEL: You mean that would be-you're saying it would be a waste of his effort is what it is.

Rep. LOFGREN: I certainly do.

SIEGEL: Well, what then do people make of the victory by Arnold Schwarzenegger? The state has a Republican governor. It's got to be, in some way, inspiring to California Republicans that they can win.

Rep. LOFGREN: Well, it is, although voters in California really thought that Schwarzenegger was not a Republican. I can't tell you the number of people who are Democrats who felt that he must not be a real Republican because he was married to a Kennedy and that he probably wasn't a right-winger and he really wasn't a Republican. But he is, and he's an affable guy. He's a movie star. So he doesn't fall prey to the hostility that the state has towards your kind of normal-profile Republican of, you know, rigid social views and anti-environment and the like. But that doesn't mean that George Bush will be well received. I don't think so. In fact, I don't think he's had up to 50 percent approval rating for some time in California, the president.

SIEGEL: Well, now you're a Democrat.

Rep. LOFGREN: Oh, of course. Yeah.

SIEGEL: (Laughs) I know. And you were a very early Howard Dean supporter.

Rep. LOFGREN: Yes.

SIEGEL: There was a lot of passion. There was something, you know, almost revolutionary about the Dean campaign. Is there anything of that left with John Kerry, or is there something much more dispassionate about the support Californians show for him?

Rep. LOFGREN: Well, you know, I don't know that there's the same passion, but I hope there, in the end, will be. Governor Dean brought a lot of new people into the political system, people who'd given up, young people. And we're going to work with those supporters because, in the end, I think they will be very enthused about having Senator John Kerry in the White House instead of George Bush. So this is-you know, many of them are Democrats. Some of them are brand new to the process, but I think they will be happy with Senator Kerry. And I'm certainly going to work with Governor Dean and other Dean supporters to work with the so-called Deaniacs, who really put their heart and soul into the Dean campaign and I think, in a lot of ways, changed the process of American politics. And they deserve a lot of credit for it.

SIEGEL: Who'd be a good running mate for John Kerry?

Rep. LOFGREN: Well, that's for him to decide.

SIEGEL: But it's for everyone to speculate about.

Rep. LOFGREN: Well...

(Soundbite of laughter)

Rep. LOFGREN: ...I'm not going to speculate on it. You know, people think about geographic balance and ideological balance, but I also think there needs to be good chemistry between the nominee and who's going to run with him. And so he'll have plenty of time to figure that out. I think there's been some discussion that he might have that selection made prior to the convention-I think that would be smart on his part-and perhaps not just the vice president but his whole Cabinet. So people can see, 'You can have Dick Cheney and Condi Rice, or you can have this other team that's more progressive and more inclusive and, you know, has more promise for the country.'

SIEGEL: Well, Representative Lofgren, thanks a lot for talking with us tonight.

Rep. LOFGREN: Thank you.

SIEGEL: Democrat Zoe Lofgren of California.