Cruz Bustamante on Principles & Values

Democratic Lt. Governor; former Candidate for CA Governor

Distinguishes himself from recall opponents, not from Davis

Q: By now your slogan is clear: No on the recall, Yes on Cruz Bustamante. But you have different ideas than Governor Gray Davis. Name specific items that you would have handled differently as governor of California than Gray Davis did.

BUSTAMANTE: I the energy crisis, the energy companies were acting like terrorists. They were blackmailing us. And they basically said that if you do not pay us this money, if you do not increase our contracts, then we're going to turn off the lights. I think I would have called their bluff.

But you are the lieutenant governor. Why didn't you speak up?

BUSTAMANTE: I did. In fact, I sued the energy companies. And as a result of the lawsuit, I'm part of a group who got $1.8 billion back to the state of California.

Anything else that you disagree with the governor on?

BUSTAMANTE: My competition is these folks on stage. My option here is to distinguish myself with my ideas against those folks who are here, and the guy who is not.

Source: Recall debate in Walnut Creek Sep 3, 2003

Elected twice to take the place of the governor

The voters of this state, twice, have voted for me to be the person to take the place of the governor in the event he was unable to continue. Twice, over 5 million people supported my effort.

But that is not enough. People want to know what have you got to say, and what are you going to do on our behalf? The first thing they are going to want to know is what have you done?

I've presided over a legislature reforming welfare in California, and we cut college tuition by 5%. We added 600,000 children to the healthcare system of California. And then, as lieutenant governor, I have been training to make sure that I'm going to be prepared in the event that the governor was not able to move.

And the only way to demonstrate that is through the kind of ideas that I'm presenting. So at the very first time that the announcement took place on my candidacy I said not just a concept about how to get rid of the car tax, I gave a clear, decisive plan on how to do that.

Source: Recall debate in Walnut Creek Sep 3, 2003

Dems strategy: No on recall, yes on Bustamante

Leaders and contributors in both parties, apparently concerned about splitting the vote Oct. 7 if Davis is recalled, have started lining up behind the two front runners, Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante and Republican actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Republicans largely have supported Schwarzenegger, and Democrats have tended to favor a "No on recall, yes on Bustamante" strategy. Source: Boston Globe, p. A16, column 5 Aug 24, 2003

Campaign strategy: No on recall, yes on Bustamante

No on the recall but yes on Bustamante

Q: [Citing Bustamante in the LA Times of June 20]: "I will not participate in any way other than to urge voters to reject this expensive perversion of the recall process. I will not attempt to advance my career at the expense of the people I was elected to serve. I do not intend to put my name on that ballot." This is a change for you.

A: The voters have voted for me twice as lieutenant governor in order to replace the governor in the event that he couldn't continue.

Q: [Videotape of Bustamante, August 7]: "Make no mistake about it, we are going to fight like heck against the recall. It's wrong." Are you spending your time fighting like heck against the recall or running for office in case the recall goes through?

A: No. This is a bad thing for California. Institutionally, it's bad. It's going to start an era of perpetual politics. There are people already talking about recalling the next governor. When does this stop?

[Videotape of Bustamante]: "No on the recall but yes on Bustamante."

Source: Meet the Press (NBC News interview) Aug 17, 2003

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