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Politics : WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (4101)	8/16/2003 11:07:11 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10965

Davis enlists Clinton; Arnold gets Buffett By James G. Lakely THE WASHINGTON TIMES California Gov. Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the leading Republican candidate to replace him in an Oct. 7 recall election, are both leaning on the masters of their fields — one in politics and one in finance — to strengthen their campaigns. Former President Bill Clinton, who knows as well as anyone how to weather a political storm, will take a "hands-on" role in helping Mr. Davis' campaign to defeat the recall effort and boost the Democratic governor's approval numbers, which are wallowing near 30 percent. The former president "is managing the whole deal by phone" and will help Mr. Davis raise funds for the unprecedented campaign, the Chicago Sun-Times first reported this week. "We certainly welcome [Mr. Clinton] in California," said Al Torres, chairman of the California Democratic Party. "He's a terrific draw in Democratic country. He's like a rock star here." Mr. Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, announced yesterday that billionaire investor Warren Buffett will be his campaign's financial and economic adviser. Mr. Buffett, the second-richest man in the United States, is a staunch Democrat who has hosted several fund-raisers for both Mr. Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. "What he will be doing is assembling other prominent business leaders and economists and setting up a team to address the issues facing California," said Schwarzenegger spokesman Sean Walsh. The selection of Mr. Buffett, the chairman of the Berkshire Hathaway investment firm, seems to contradict the Republican actor's public embrace of the supply-side economic theories of Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman. In May, Mr. Buffett dismissed Mr. Bush's tax cuts as "voodoo economics" that amount to "major aid to the rich in their pursuit of even greater wealth" — statements inconsistent with Mr. Friedman's free-market teachings. Nonetheless, Mr. Buffett gave an unqualified endorsement of Mr. Schwarzenegger's candidacy. "I have known Arnold for years and know he'll be a great governor," Mr. Buffett said in a statement. "It is critical to the rest of the nation that California's economic crisis be solved, and I think Arnold will get that job done." George "Duf" Sundheim, chairman of the California Republican Party, applauded the addition of Mr. Buffett to the Schwarzenegger campaign, and downplayed Mr. Buffett's previous condemnation of tax cuts. "It's great to get a broad range of points of view. I think Warren Buffett has something of value to contribute," Mr. Sundheim said. While Mr. Davis will certainly welcome Mr. Clinton's advice and fund-raising prowess, the ex-president's recent track record at helping Democratic gubernatorial candidates is spotty. In 2002, Mr. Clinton stumped for Democratic gubernatorial candidates in 17 states — nine of them lost. Democrats lost some of the closest and most high-profile races, including Maryland and Florida, where it was hoped Mr. Clinton's presence would be the difference. Mr. Clinton also chipped in advice for last year's Senate campaign in Minnesota by former Vice President Walter Mondale, which he lost to Republican Norm Coleman. "Clinton's always been a little more Hollywood than anyone else, so maybe he has a winning strategy for out there," said a Republican strategist. "But I don't think he's the savior that many think he his." Dick Morris, former political adviser to Mr. Clinton, said California Democrats must eventually have a "long talk" with Mr. Davis and persuade him to step down before the Oct. 7 vote. California voters will simultaneously cast ballots on two questions — whether Mr. Davis should be recalled and who should replace him. If the recall fails to garner a majority of "yes" votes, the gubernatorial vote is meaningless. Mr. Davis is not a candidate on the second part of the ballot. Partisan Democrats might vote "no" on the recall and "yes" to Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante to replace Mr. Davis "just in case," Mr. Morris said, but the majority of voters "can only make an emotional commitment to one guy." "Clinton would be throwing a life preserver to someone who is already dead," Mr. Morris said of the ex-president's support for the Davis campaign. "And in the course of doing so, the dead weight will sink the boat. So there is truly a tipping point at which the Democrats need to abandon Davis if they want to have any hope of electing Bustamante." With Mr. Schwarzenegger's candidacy gaining the approval of a majority of California voters, according to recent polls, that tipping point has been reached, Mr. Morris said. "I think the irony of this situation is that the more help Davis gets from Clinton, the more help Schwarzenegger gets," Mr. Morris said. President Bush will travel to California this week, but made it clear that he intends to stay out of the recall frenzy. "Yeah, [Mr. Schwarzenegger] would be a good governor, as would others running for governor of California," Mr. Bush said. "I'm most interested in seeing how the process evolves. It's a fascinating bit of political drama." •This report is based in part on wire service reports. URL:http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030813-114349-4378r.htm