McClintock: Schwarzenegger Not Qualified

McClintock: Schwarzenegger Not Qualified

Christopher Ruddy & James Hirsen
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2003

State Senator Tom McClintock tells NewsMax he won’t budge on plans to complete the race for governor, and says he’s the only conservative Republican running for the special election set for Oct. 7.

In a wide ranging interview with NewsMax’s Christopher Ruddy and James Hirsen late last week, McClintock made a point of differentiating himself from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

McClintock also denied he had been pressured to drop out of the race.

“I keep reading about it but I haven't had any party leaders call suggesting it,” McClintock said.

It is difficult to believe that McClintock would ever leave the race to Schwarzenegger.

McClintock believes the Terminator holds no qualification to run California, let alone to deal with the state’s worst fiscal crisis ever.

“I readily admit there's a great deal Arnold Schwarzenegger could teach me about making movies,” McClintock said in a mocking tone.

He added, “There's a great deal I could teach him about the fiscal reforms needed to save our state. Unfortunately there's no time for training. The next governor will take office the moment the last vote is counted.”

McClintock also warned Republicans that Schwarzenegger is a Trojan Horse who has surrounded himself with liberals.

Schwarzenegger’s campaign is being run by former Gov. Pete Wilson’s “team that proposed the biggest tax increase by any state, here in California in 1991,” McClintock said.

With no political experience, Schwarzenegger will have to rely completely on advisors.

McClintock said he was “very concerned” about Schwarzenegger’s top economic advisor, Warren Buffett. Bufffett, according to McClintock, is “the most outspoken advocate of higher taxes in the country.”

McClintock: ‘I Can Win’

McClintock said he will raise $4 million for his race. More than $500,000 has poured into his campaign coffers through his web site www.tommcclintock.com.

His campaign is being advised by Lyn Nofziger, a former senior aide to Ronald Reagan.

McClintock says his poll numbers have been bubbling up, as Schwarzenegger’s trends down.

“Clearly the momentum is on my side,” he said. “I began this campaign three weeks ago as an asterisk and have now moved into double digits, according to major polling.”

He scoffs at the notion a Reagan Republican can’t win in California.

Facing similar hurdles, McClintock almost won his race for state controller, losing the race by a half of percent.

“Of course I can win,” McClinton said. “I was outspent 5 to 1 in the election for state controller last year and ended up the top Republican vote getter in this state.”

A Plan from Day One

McClintock also argues that he is, in fact, the most experienced and qualified person running to deal with the state’s fiscal crisis.

He has a plan. Here it is:

“Well, within moments of taking the oath of office I'll sign an executive order to rescind the governor's tripling of our car tax.

”I'll then void the $42 billion of outrageously overpriced electricity contracts that Davis locked us into.

”Then I'll call a special session of the state legislature to replace California's workers compensation law with Arizona's and bring our workers comp costs down by two-thirds.”

“All of those things can be done before lunch on the first day of the administration,” he said.

How will Republican McClintock deal with a hostile, overwhelmingly Democrat legislature?

“Bear in mind there's a great deal the governor can do quite independently of the legislature, including the rescinding of the car tax, voiding of the electricity contracts,” he said.

For other issues, he says he plans on falling the example of California’s reformist governor, Hiram Johnson, who was elected Governor of California in 1910.

“He appealed directly to the people and ushered in a period of political - breathtaking political - reforms that the state still enjoys today,” McClintock said.

Where Does McClintock Stand?

NewsMax asked McClintock were he stood on the issues, including ones addressed by Arnold Scharzenegger by talk radio host Sean Hannity.

Here’s the run down. Schwarzenegger’s positions are in brackets:

Abortion:

I'm pro-life.

[A.S.: pro-choice]

Parental notification:

I very strongly support parental notification.

[A.S.: favors]

Domestic partnership:

I'm very much opposed to domestic partnership.

[A.S.: favors domestic partnerships]

Gay marriage:

Opposed

[A.S.: opposed]

The Brady Bill:

Opposed

[A.S.: favors]

Assault Weapons Ban:

Opposed, in fact I led the opposition in the assembly many years ago.

[A.S.: favors]

Overall on the issue of gun control:

I believe people have a fundamental natural right to self-defense, a right to .... the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

[A.S.: favors]

Affirmative action:

Opposed

[A.S.: hasn’t decided yet]

Driver's licenses for illegal aliens:

I led the opposition in the Senate.

[A.S.: opposes]

General services for illegal aliens:

Very much opposed ... Proposition 187, in fact, ran radio ads for it in 1994.

[A.S.: No current position]

Drug legalization:

Opposed

[A.S.: opposed]

Medical Marijuana

The people of California have spoken on that; I do believe the governor has a responsibility to uphold that measure.

[A.S.: favors]

School vouchers:

Very strongly support

[A.S.: opposes]

Prayer in school:

Support it.

[A.S.: supports]

Offshore oil drilling:

I don't believe that there is an excuse for drilling off California when we can develop Alaskan oil fields first.

[A.S.: opposes]

Supporting President Bush in 2004:

Support.

[A.S.: supports]

Bush's war on terrorism:

Support

[A.S.: supports]

Proposition 13:

I strongly support.

[A.S.: supports]

Any tax increases planned as governor:

Absolutely not!

[A.S. no, but adds, “Never say never.”]

McClintock summed up his interview with NewsMax by saying:

“To the people of California, I would say the tragedy that has befallen California is not because of any act of God, it's because of acts of government. We can change that.”