CNN American Morning - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: AMERICAN MORNING 07:00

HEADLINE: Interview with Cruz Bustamante

GUESTS: Cruz Bustamante

BYLINE: Bill Hemmer, Daryn Kagan, John King

HIGHLIGHT:
King examines what role the Bush administration might play in the California recall election. Bustamante talks about the recall election and why he decided to run.

BODY:
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Daryn, look at the new poll numbers right now. Forty-two percent of voters polled by CNN, "USA Today" and Gallup say they would vote for Schwarzenegger. The two nearest Republicans down the list tied at 13 percent. State Senator Tom McClintock and Bill Simon, who lost a close race back in November to Gray Davis.

The man at second, Cruz Bustamante, is lieutenant governor.

He's with us live now in Sacramento to talk about his chances and this race right now that is getting an awful lot of attention across the country.

Sir, good morning to you.

Thanks for your time here on AMERICAN MORNING.

LT. GOV. CRUZ BUSTAMANTE (D), CALIFORNIA: Oh, thank you for inviting me, Bill.

HEMMER: If you pick up a copy of "Newsweek" magazine, if you pick up a copy of "Time" magazine, Arnold Schwarzenegger did not drop a dime for any of this publicity.

How do you stop what appears to be a runaway political train right now?

BUSTAMANTE: Well, I don't think it is a runaway political train, first of all. I think that clearly Arnold Schwarzenegger has a tremendous number of fans as an actor and clearly people are excited about, you know, his announcement and that kind of a thing. And I think that's going to wear for a while and then I think we're going to get back to a real campaign. And I believe Arnold knows that, as well.

We're going to have to start talking about issues and people are going to start trying to figure out whether or not one group or one person or another is going to be the best candidate, and they're going to base that on the issues.

HEMMER: Now, you just heard John King's report from the White House. We go back to the poll numbers right now, according to our numbers, anyway, you're trailing Schwarzenegger by about 20 points.

If you consider what some are saying right now, sending a moderate Republican, a moderate conservative, who may be able to steal Democratic votes, what do you say to Democrats in your state who may favor his position and may be drawn toward him?

BUSTAMANTE: Well, clearly there's a group of folk, especially within the Democratic Party, who are going to be opposed to Arnold's campaign. They're going to be opposed because I think that they believe clearly that the more progressive side of the agenda or the more progressive group are going to be within the Democratic Party.

I mean if you really believe in trying to make sure that admissions for every talented kid, regardless of race, are going to make sure that they're going to be maintained; if you are going to make sure the that coastal legacy that we've all been fighting for for many, many years is going to be maintained; if you're going to make sure that we're going to protect the most vulnerable people among us, you're going to have to make sure that you're going to identify someone who can not only articulate and make sure that they can just say the words, but people who have been able to do it and fight and make sure that they understand how do those kinds of things in California.

A perfect example is the issue of the car tax and also student fees in the colleges and universities. It is short-sighted and it is lax vision when you're increasing the amount of tuition for students who are trying to go to our universities and colleges. You're mortgage our future by not having what will probably end up being 60,000 students that won't be able to go and putting an unfair burden on working class and middle class families.

HEMMER: In order for you to enact anything in that area, though, you have to win this election, if, indeed, it comes to that, the recall vote is approved. If that's the case, poll numbers show 54 percent of those surveyed think Gray Davis should leave office and, in fact, be recalled.

As his right-hand man sitting on top of a $38 billion deficit, how do you tell people in California you know what, you can trust me, follow me, my policy will be different and it will work?

BUSTAMANTE: Well, first of all, they've already done that. The voters of this state have already voted for me twice. And they voted for me twice statewide and successfully specifically to be able to take care of the position should the governor not be able to carry on his duties.

Now, the voters know that I'm an independent person and they have voted for me independently. And as a result, they expect me to be able to step in. And I've had a chance, for the last five years, to prepare myself for that eventuality.

HEMMER: Well, when you were talking, we put another poll up for our viewers to see. Fifty percent of those surveyed recently say you have no chance in terms of getting a vote from California voters.

Your reaction to that?

BUSTAMANTE: Well, you know, I've always been told, whether I was going to run for office from the Central Valley—I came from a little tiny town in the Central Valley and people said, you know, maybe I shouldn't go to college, either, I shouldn't run for office, I couldn't be the speaker, I couldn't win statewide as a lieutenant governor.

If I'd have listened to all the naysayers, all a long time ago, I wouldn't be here today.

So, the way I look at it is that I'm an average guy trying to do an above average job. And the voters have voted for me several times now to be able to do that, and I think I'm presenting myself as a viable second option, that I have opposed the recall. However, you're going to have a second vote. Vote for Bustamante just in case.

HEMMER: Would you rather be governor or would you rather see Gray Davis keep the job?

BUSTAMANTE: Well, you know, I'm here as an alternative. I'm here to be a positive second option. I'm here to make sure that the voters have an opportunity to be able to use that second vote. And I hope that they will.

HEMMER: Some are speaking with a split tongue. How do you keep a cohesive message when you're taking a two-pronged approach?

BUSTAMANTE: Well, that's oddly put, but basically I think it's—if you look at it very, very clearly, you have two votes on this issue. You have the vote of the recall and then you have the vote of somebody that you'd like to replace in the event, in the event that it should be successful. They're going to be voting and I don't think that you've asked the same question of any of the other candidates. In fact, I think that there's a clear distinction between me and many of the other candidates.

First of all, I am the only Democrat in the race. And if you look at the top folks on the other side of the aisle, the other candidates, I'm probably the only non-millionaire in the race.

I think people are going to have a chance to choose clearly between my candidacy and the others.

HEMMER: We will talk to another candidate in a matter of moments.

Bill Simon will be our guest.

He lost to the current governor back in November, to Gray Davis.

He'll be our guest in a matter of moments here.

Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, thanks, live in Sacramento.

Thanks for joining us today.

BUSTAMANTE: Thank you for inviting me.

HEMMER: You've got it—Daryn.