AP: Democrats Tear Each Other Apart in California

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats Tear Each Other Apart in Calif.
June 1
By LAURA KURTZMAN

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is wounded and vulnerable, and yet the two Democrats vying to unseat him are tearing each other apart in the very nightmare scenario party leaders had feared.

State Treasurer Phil Angelides and Controller Steve Westly are spending millions on attack ads heading into Tuesday's primary, trading accusations of being corrupt, indulging in dirty politics and wanting to raise taxes....

***

Westly, a former eBay executive who has poured nearly $35 million of his own money into his campaign, went negative first, despite a promise to run a positive campaign. He delved into Angelides' past as a developer, accusing him of paving over wetlands, building on flood plains and contributing to urban sprawl.

Angelides, also a millionaire but on a lesser scale, attacked the controller for contributions he took from a Chicago businessman who was later indicted, and accused Westly of steering state business to the man's company.

"Whoever emerges on top June 6 is going to be as wounded as a candidate could be," said Mervin Field, a veteran California pollster....

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060601/D8HVKCKG2.html

[still_one]

1. I do not agree. I am voting for Westly

[Zynx]

2. Thank God there's only five days left.

This is one of those times when I wished that the party could have gotten just one candidate.

[TheDonkey]

62. It really has been a nightmare

Everytime I turn the TV on I see a wave of attack ads. This is not good when we need to be on our A game to beat the "new" Arnold.

[msongs]

3. will not vote for either in the primary. their ads are disgusting and

all arnold has to do is reshoot them with new faces.

I will hold my nose and vote for one in November. However, it is appalling that one of the bluest states cannot come up with a higher caliber of politician.

www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
mugs and shirtsan.

[CAcyclist]

38. Before you buy the media spin

check out this video of Angelides campaign speech at the Democratic convention. Angelides is truly a great candidate for office and it is too bad people still don't know this.

http://azul.streamguys.com/angelides/Phil%20Angelides%20-%20CA%20Democratic%20Convention.wmv

[coalition_unwilling]

45. Westly went negative first (saw it with my own eyes), breaking

his promise to run a positive campaign. Westly did this for two principal reasons: he was running 10-15% behind Angelides in polling and negative campaigning WORKS to drive up an opponent's negatives.

That said, I'm voting for Angelides. He's got a long history of supporting labor and progressive causes. Westly is a Johnny Come Lately and is just as tainted by his past as is Angelides.

I like negative campaigning, but only because I enjoy watching how the various tactics play themselves out. I don't think SchwarzeNazi can win in Nov, no matter who the Dem nominee is.

[zreosumgame]

50. I agree

I keep listening to the ads, and Westly makes a lot of claims but can't seem to back them up.

[DainBramaged]

4. Another AP hit piece I assume (I no longer trust them)

[AX10]

5. Seems like propaganda to justify the DIEBOLDING of...

the election.

[EFerrari]

7. You think they would do that?

Sure they would.

[fooj]

12. Bingo...

We have a winner here. Take it from a Californian. :hi:

[demosincebirth]

6. Hey, they're politicians. What do you expect? niceties?

[jackpan1260]

8. Polls have Westly beating Schwarzenegger, Angelides doesn't fair as well

I am not crazy about this primary, but I still think one of them can win the general election. I think it will be easier for Westly to do it and I hope he wins.

[CAcyclist]

39. Remember what happened last time the election was based on "electability"

Angelides is the candidate that can beat Schwartzenegger, not Westly.

[jackpan1260]

60. Some Kerry supporters were just like you.

Before the Iowa caucus they said "Kerry can beat Bush" without any evidence to support it, before the primary you say "Angelides can beat Schwartzenegger" without any evidence to support it. I didn't buy what Kerry's supporters where saying then (since I never saw any evidence he was the most electable) and I don't buy what you are saying now for the same reason. Your conclusion is based on your gut and nothing else. Colbert would be proud. My conclusion is based on numerous polls. Every poll has Westly doing better than Angelides against Arnold. Some polls don't have either democratic candidate winning, some polls have both candidates winning, but Westly is always doing better. That's a fact. If you don't believe in polls that's fine, they can definitely be inaccurate many times. I just hope you aren't one of those people who only believe in polls when you like the results.

[unda cova brutha]

42. hitler could beat schwarznegger

oh wait, what is the difference between the two?

[CountAllVotes]

9. Angelides will win easy

The word is out on Westly and his corruption. The Unions aren't backing him nor are the Progressive Democrats.

So I'd say bye bye Westly. It was nice knowing you though.

Too bad you are so corrupt and tried to steal the money from the employees of the State of California who happen to be UNIONIZED thank god!

You Westly have been messing with CalPERS and that is why you won't win.

And Westly's ads against Angelides ARE disgusting! :grr:

:dem: :kick:

[XemaSab]

27. Hey, it's not Westly's fault

Angelides paved over wetlands.

:P

[mitchtv]

10. I have only recieved negative ads from Westley

I would not vote for him now even if he wins the primary. He would do well to remember the other bored millionaire , Al Cecchi. First negative ad, shame on you, second ad shame on me if I vote for you

[Gormy Cuss]

46. Thast's how I view Westly

He's not promising much of a Democratic message but is spending a lot of time trying to drag down Angelides. Westly works in Sacramento -- if he had any sense he would use his experience in the current administration to trash Ahhnold rather than harp on Angelides.

Angelides has the backing of the party machine, and polls be damned. Once there is a single Democratic candidate I suspect most of the potential Westly voters will find Angelides to be a better bet than more Arnold.

[Clarkie1]

53. Angelides was the first to go negative, not Westley.

Westley practically begged for a positive campaign, but Angelides chose another route when he was way down in the polls a couple of months ago. That's when Angelides started going negative.

[EST]

11. Is it remotely possible that neither of these is actually

a real democrat, rather than just an opportunist, taking on the trappings of whatever group will allow him, in order to add "gov" to his self aggrandizing mental resume?
The bio-history of the world is replete with predators who camouflage themselves to look like their victims or as innocuous window dressing.
The current advent of outspoken advocates of the corrupt, criminal right wing defecting to the dem party should have any conscious, thoughtful human jumpy and antsy.

Having been, more than once, deceived and betrayed, I tend to view with jaundiced eye any such move as the recent antics occurring in Kansas. This begins to look like a more complicated version of the same thing.

Being a vicious, vile, underhanded repuke turd while pretending to be all sweetness and light is far easier than being a thoughtful, compassionate person, attempting to appear republican.

[msongs]

15. they are remarkably similar w/solid dem credentials

and the blab on the terribly hostile negative ads is that this is the only way they can distinguish themselves.

I say crapola to that. The one that chose to run ads defining his vision of California and his role as governor is the one
that should win. Unfortunately, there is not much of that on TV that I have seen (and to be fair I hardly ever watch anything but
PBS). EVERY ad I have seen for these two has been negative.

Msongs
www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
mugs and shirts

[EST]

34. In my opinion, we should have a rule that whoever uses

mud-slinging, false or cherry picked twisting of an opponents record in the primaries should be subject to immediate automatic disqualification.
That is not to say that negative campaigning is necessarily bad, if the subject of such negativity is well and truly dirty, but the typical distortions of the truth that some candidates use to discredit their opponents is devoid of real truth and is so image destroying that there is no way the person, if those lies were actually true, would be qualified for anything.

The destruction of other candidates in a primary race through the use of false or misleading statements or implications is so counter productive it reflects badly on the person doing the slamming and should disqualify him immediately.

[CAcyclist]

41. Watch this video of Angelides and then tell me you feel the same way

http://azul.streamguys.com/angelides/Phil%20Angelides%20-%20CA%20Democratic%20Convention.wmv

At least one man in this race is a real Democrat and really dedicated to fighting for the people.

[Clarkie1]

52. Cut the crap...they are both "real democrats." n/t

[IndianaGreen]

13. It's a primary, for Heaven's sake! What did you expect?

Arnold is not going to play nice, so we might as well pick whoever wins a bruising contest for we know he ain't going to go soft on us.

[ShockediSay]

22. i expect some party leader to impose the 11th commandment

thou shalt not disparage a fellow party member

[IndianaGreen]

23. There is no such thing as an 11th commandment, there never was!

Reagan said that there was one, but it was typical Reagan bullshit. There is the way the GOP kept the "11th bullshit commandment" in 2000 in the Bush-McCain contest, the nasty attacks on Rockefeller when he was seen as a threat to Goldwater's candidacy in the 1960s, the Taft-Eisenhower contest in the 1950s, etc.

[Art_from_Ark]

32. Taft-Eisenhower really doesn't count, I think,

because Eisenhower wasn't really a "Republican" in the truest sense and had to be persuaded to choose that particular party. Ike really didn't have much good to say about his VP, either.

[Cha]

14. Is AP going to

get the story out about money diverted from homeland insecurity funds from NYC and diverted elsewhere?

How dirty is that?

[joefree1]

16. Should have been, "California has a competive election!"

You know, when elections were competive not scripted by party elite and funky election machines. Republicans aren't used to competition within the lock step drones.

Enjoy it while it last repukes, because very soon we're coming for you.

[Clarkie1]

17. I was going to post about this, it's very disheartening.

Both of them are otherwise good Democrats but they are throwing mud and slime at each other like a couple of school kids. Every time I see one of the ads now for either candidate it sickens me.

Edit: For the record, I voted for Westly on my absentee ballot a couple of weeks ago. He was the one who originally promised to run a postive campaign, and from best I can tell it was Angelides who first started throwing mud when Westly was ahead in the polls a couple of months ago.

[aquart]

18. Someone enact a law to keep executives out of office.

They're running because they haven't got anything better to do with the possible exception of climbing Everest.

I note that both assholes plan to start at the top with no prior experience of public service? Is this really all California has to offer?

[uhhuh]

21. This is inaccurate.

I agree that it is annoying that all these multi-millionaire business types keep running for office, but Angelides is currently the State Treasurer and Westly is State Controller, so they do have State government experience.

[aquart]

24. Thank you for the correction.

I am not a Californian and the way the post was written gave me no clue to public service.

My city has a billionaire mayor. I don't hate him but he didn't work his way up the ladder and it shows.

[democracyindanger]

19. It's stupid

Both sides have been airing an attack ad like crazy. Instead of arguing why they each should be governor, they're screeching about why the other guy shouldn't.

Politics suck.

[JI7]

20. i can't wait for this primary election to be over

[robertarctor]

25. Westly is Karl Rove's candidate in the Democratic primary

Westly is a Schwarzenegger acolyte who Rove drafted to either take Angelides out in June, or weaken him so Arnold, Rove and Diebold could work their black magic in November.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

29. I have heard this- do you have any proof?????

[CAcyclist]

40. He may not be Rove's candidate

but he sure learned a thing or two from Rove. What he is is a friend of the billionaries and the corporations - why do you think the Hearst Corp. is running attack editorials on Angelides disguised as 'news". Angelides wants to raise taxes on people making over $500,000 and on corporations and the corporations are determined not to let that happen.

When Gray Davis was governor and Bush gave tax cuts to the wealthy, this state and most others raised taxes on those same people to offset the shortfall. That hasn't happened under Schwartzenegger and instead the state is raising fees and cutting services. All of my state business permits, fees, licenses went up 30-200% and I'm paying new fees I never had to before. If that isn't a tax on the middle class, I don't know what is. Angelides would give relief to people like me - small business owners, relief to college students and make the people who benefited the most from the Bush administration pay the most.

I get really frustrated when the mass media sets the agenda and determines what the theme of the day is and people, like sheep, just follow along. The difference between these two men couldn't more stark, no matter how the media wants to spin this. Think for yourselves, people!

[Clarkie1]

49. Westly is a good Democrat endorsed by the Sierra Club and Dick Gephardt,

among others. Spew your bullshit somewhere else please.

I am disappointed in both Angelides and Westly for their childish campaigning. For the record, I voted for Westly absentee two weeks ago.

[diamidue]

57. yep. childish.

Westly's being endorsed by Dick Gephardt AND Tom Daschle - neither a favorite of mine. Angelides being endorsed by Pelosi and FEINSTEIN - ugh.
What a choice. But like you, I already voted absentee - for Westly. Only because I don't fancy a developer in the governor's seat. Hate voting for the lesser of two evils all the time. (Arnie's probably going to end up winning).

[bluestateguy]

26. Republicans have one advantage this Fall, and that is this:

They have the Democratic Party as their opponents.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

28. I'm voting for Westley...dont think Angelides can beat Terminator..

I know this sounds superficial and all, but Angelides is too much of a dork.
I don't care if the party is endorsing him, Im following my gut and going for Westley who has a better shot agains
the dreadul AAHNOLD!!

[BlueStater]

48. Both of them should be able to beat Ah-nuld

How can you possibly lose to a muscle-bound moron who has done absolutely NOTHING for California?

[Clarkie1]

51. I think Westley is an innovator who is able to think outside the box.

And I also think that is something he can use to appeal to a wider spectrum of voters. Angelides is perceived as a nerdy partisan hack.

[jackpan1260]

61. Yes, all polls indicate Westly will do better than Angelides against Arnol

I'll support whoever wins the primary, but I hope it is Westly.

[The_Casual_Observer]

30. This AP reporter doesn't understand the meaning of democracy

and a political campaign. All she knows is a rove/fundie blow out where the deck is stacked so fucking high that the outcome is certain years before the election. Tell her to get fucked.

[ProudDad]

31. I don't know who started it

(I'm pretty sure it was Westly) but Westly's been running 50 attack ads against Angelides for every one Angelides was finally forced to run.

If anyone's muddying the waters in California, it's that rich f*ck Westly...

[Clarkie1]

54. Actually Angelides was the one who started the mud slinging in the first

debate. Westly was calling for a positive campaign, but Angelides was desperate when he was so far down in the polls a couple of months ago, so started going negative. Usually the result of going negative is if both sides are doing it it narrows the margin while lowering both candidates popularity, which is exactly what it has done.

[mitchtv]

56. Is that so? Well maybe it's my lifestyle or something

I have received one glossy anti- Westley ad from the Angelides camp, and many, many pieces from Westley- distinctly negative, and outrageous to do Arnold's script for him.And media negatives ALL come from Westley. From the very beginning here on DU also. You'll never get my vote talking about ANY Democrat like that ('cept maybe Lieberman /Miller).

[truthisfreedom]

33. sad.

[skipos]

35. Westly has a better chance of beating Arnie

from the polls I have seen.

[bemildred]

36. What horseshit.

A vigorous primary fight indicates a vigorous party with voters that care about politics.

[MallRat]

37. This isn't going to affect Dem turnout in CA-50, will it?

I'd hate to see Busby get hurt by this bullshit in the gubernatorial primary race.

[leesa]

43. Funny. Isn't this what is done in primaries? They are adversaries in

primaries...this is just GOP propaganda.

[redqueen]

44. Sure is sad to see so many are so worked up over it.

Hope Westly goes down hard.

[urbuddha]

47. Demos tearing each other apart . . .

Democrats are our own worst enemy.
Angelides and Westly are just giving Schwarzefrickinator more
amunition that he really doesn't need.
The one thing Republicans have on us Democrats MOST of the time
is that they can unite and stay together.
If only Angelides and Westly could run a cleaner race the Democrats
might stand a chance. Right now...it looks like they're doing everything
Arnold wants.

[wordpix]

55. I'm afraid this is happening here in CT with Leiberman/Lamont

they're starting to get nasty.

[monarch]

58. Lieberman is the one getting nasty and using Rove tactics.

Lamont has run an entirely positive campaign.

[Raine]

59. Yeah it's really disgusting

I'm so disgusted I have decide not vote for either of them, I'm leaving it blank. :mad: They are help Arnie, by giving him dirt on each other. :-(