Oh, man, this has GOTTA be good! I'll have to switch back and forth between the Cubbies game though, but at least there's no football on ...
btw - you Californians must feel like shit over this whole screwed-up affair - my sympathies ... but the Floridians are surely grateful for you having taken the election heat off them
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The major candidates in the California gubernatorial recall election are scheduled to appear in a nationally-televised debate Wednesday night in Sacramento.
Taking part will be actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (search), state Sen. Tom McClintock (search), independent Arianna Huffington (search) and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo (search).
A full panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (search) on Tuesday reinstated the vote's original timetable, removing uncertainty that threatened to kill the momentum of the compressed campaign and lose the interest of voters.
The decision put even more pressure on the candidates appearing Wednesday night at the only nationally televised debate in which front-runner actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) was scheduled to appear.
At other forums, Schwarzenegger's absence has been the focus of sniping by contestants. An empty chair with his name on it has been used to signify the missing celebrity.
Critics have complained about the format of Wednesday's debate since the 12 voter questions that will be asked have already been made public. Organizers said there will be ample time for give-and-take about each question.
The looming debate came even as candidates sharpened their attacks.
In an essay published Wednesday on the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, Schwarzenegger wrote that Davis "has created a counterproductive culture in Sacramento where businesses and entrepreneurs that dare make a profit are treated as if they are enemies of the state." He referred to Bustamante as "Gray Davis - The Sequel" and said the two Democrats have created "an endless litany of taxing schemes."
He and Bustamante also have aired negative television ads in recent days.
After Schwarzenegger released a campaign ad Monday attacking Bustamante and McClintock for taking money from Indian gambling interests, Bustamante responded with an ad Tuesday accusing Schwarzenegger of being out of touch with common people.
"Arnold doesn't share our values. He won't fight for our health care, our neighborhoods, our jobs. He doesn't live in our world. He lives on Planet Hollywood (search)," Bustamante said of the wealthy actor.
Schwarzenegger, after a question-and-answer session in Sacramento, defended his ads. "You cannot represent the people of California if you take money, millions of dollars from the Indians," he said.
Bustamante said later that Schwarzenegger should not criticize him because the actor took Indian contributions during his initiative campaign to fund after-school programs.
"It seems very hypocritical that he is attacking tribal governments when just a year ago he was having a fund-raiser in San Diego and raised $62,000," Bustamante said.
McClintock, meanwhile, continued to ignore calls to step aside or risk splitting the GOP vote. The state senator is in the race "not only to the finish line - we intend to seek re-election to the governorship," said campaign director John Feliz.
In the court ruling Tuesday, the judges unanimously decided that the risk some votes might go uncounted on Oct. 7 was overshadowed by the heavy costs in time and money that have already been pored into the campaign.
The decision overturned last week's ruling by three of the most liberal judges on the court. They had argued the election should be postponed until six counties can install new voting machines so that millions of California voters wouldn't have to use the infamous punch card ballots that tarnished the 2000 presidential election.
The American Civil Liberties Union (search), which had sought a postponement until March, said it would not appeal Tuesday's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, removing the final legal roadblock to the recall.
Davis, who campaigned with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, said Tuesday he was pleased with the full court's ruling.
"I think we have the momentum. I think we should strike while the iron is hot. I think people are deciding as the date narrows, the date is around the corner, that this is not good for California, it's not good for our future and I'd rather have the election now," Davis said.
In other developments Tuesday:
- According to a new economic report, California's economy is improving and should continue to do so gradually over the next year, but the state won't see a significant recovery in terms of new jobs until 2005. The report, by UCLA Anderson Forecast (search), projected it will take two years for the state's economy to generate a combined 3.2 percent job growth, compared with the 3.5 percent job growth in 2000.
- Republican state Sen. Jim Brulte (search), the Senate minority leader, announced his support for Schwarzenegger, saying the former bodybuilder was a "fresh face" and the only candidate formidable enough to beat Bustamante. San Diego County's five supervisors also endorsed the actor.
btw - you Californians must feel like shit over this whole screwed-up affair - my sympathies ... but the Floridians are surely grateful for you having taken the election heat off them
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The major candidates in the California gubernatorial recall election are scheduled to appear in a nationally-televised debate Wednesday night in Sacramento.
Taking part will be actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (search), state Sen. Tom McClintock (search), independent Arianna Huffington (search) and Green Party candidate Peter Camejo (search).
A full panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (search) on Tuesday reinstated the vote's original timetable, removing uncertainty that threatened to kill the momentum of the compressed campaign and lose the interest of voters.
The decision put even more pressure on the candidates appearing Wednesday night at the only nationally televised debate in which front-runner actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) was scheduled to appear.
At other forums, Schwarzenegger's absence has been the focus of sniping by contestants. An empty chair with his name on it has been used to signify the missing celebrity.
Critics have complained about the format of Wednesday's debate since the 12 voter questions that will be asked have already been made public. Organizers said there will be ample time for give-and-take about each question.
The looming debate came even as candidates sharpened their attacks.
In an essay published Wednesday on the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, Schwarzenegger wrote that Davis "has created a counterproductive culture in Sacramento where businesses and entrepreneurs that dare make a profit are treated as if they are enemies of the state." He referred to Bustamante as "Gray Davis - The Sequel" and said the two Democrats have created "an endless litany of taxing schemes."
He and Bustamante also have aired negative television ads in recent days.
After Schwarzenegger released a campaign ad Monday attacking Bustamante and McClintock for taking money from Indian gambling interests, Bustamante responded with an ad Tuesday accusing Schwarzenegger of being out of touch with common people.
"Arnold doesn't share our values. He won't fight for our health care, our neighborhoods, our jobs. He doesn't live in our world. He lives on Planet Hollywood (search)," Bustamante said of the wealthy actor.
Schwarzenegger, after a question-and-answer session in Sacramento, defended his ads. "You cannot represent the people of California if you take money, millions of dollars from the Indians," he said.
Bustamante said later that Schwarzenegger should not criticize him because the actor took Indian contributions during his initiative campaign to fund after-school programs.
"It seems very hypocritical that he is attacking tribal governments when just a year ago he was having a fund-raiser in San Diego and raised $62,000," Bustamante said.
McClintock, meanwhile, continued to ignore calls to step aside or risk splitting the GOP vote. The state senator is in the race "not only to the finish line - we intend to seek re-election to the governorship," said campaign director John Feliz.
In the court ruling Tuesday, the judges unanimously decided that the risk some votes might go uncounted on Oct. 7 was overshadowed by the heavy costs in time and money that have already been pored into the campaign.
The decision overturned last week's ruling by three of the most liberal judges on the court. They had argued the election should be postponed until six counties can install new voting machines so that millions of California voters wouldn't have to use the infamous punch card ballots that tarnished the 2000 presidential election.
The American Civil Liberties Union (search), which had sought a postponement until March, said it would not appeal Tuesday's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, removing the final legal roadblock to the recall.
Davis, who campaigned with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, said Tuesday he was pleased with the full court's ruling.
"I think we have the momentum. I think we should strike while the iron is hot. I think people are deciding as the date narrows, the date is around the corner, that this is not good for California, it's not good for our future and I'd rather have the election now," Davis said.
In other developments Tuesday:
- According to a new economic report, California's economy is improving and should continue to do so gradually over the next year, but the state won't see a significant recovery in terms of new jobs until 2005. The report, by UCLA Anderson Forecast (search), projected it will take two years for the state's economy to generate a combined 3.2 percent job growth, compared with the 3.5 percent job growth in 2000.
- Republican state Sen. Jim Brulte (search), the Senate minority leader, announced his support for Schwarzenegger, saying the former bodybuilder was a "fresh face" and the only candidate formidable enough to beat Bustamante. San Diego County's five supervisors also endorsed the actor.
