Was Davis targeted by Bush’s reelection bid?

[Junkdrawer]

If I’m KKKarl Rove, I got three issues that would hurt Bush’s reelection:

1.) The economy
2.) The ongoing debacle in Iraq
3.) The Enron/Harkin/Haliburton scandals

For the economy, look forward to an excessively hyped “recovery” that will consist of a brief upturn in the stock market and several companies recalling workers for a short stint.

The debacle in Iraq scares me the most and all I’ll say now is that this team has a way of benefiting by making the situation worse.

But as for the Enron/Harkin/Haliburton scandals, I think that “blame the energy mess on Gray Davis” is the current plan. As confirmation, I’ll remind everyone that during that all-too-brief time that Enron/Harkin/Haliburton was in the news, Rush, Faux and the other RW media harped incessantly on Gray Davis as the chief culprit. By targeting Davis now, when the issue comes up next year, Rove will say “look, the whole energy debacle was the fault of Gray Davis and I think the voters of California have confirmed this to be the case.”

[salmonhorse]

1. Yes ~

[bryant69]

2. Unfortunately

I don't know if the stories about Harkin and Haliburton, which had relitively little to do with CA anyway, have the legs they should have. I think the attitude of the public is PResident Bush had some shakey business deals before becoming President; so did Clinton (i.e. Whitewater), and Cheney isn't going to run for president anyway.

I'm not saying we should drop these stories--as Haliburton in particular seems pretty damning, just not hopeful that they will make a huge impact on the American psyche.

Actually the Explanation for CA that I buy more is that it embarrassed Rove to lose CA to Davis so he wants to defeat him to wipe away the stain of that defeat.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Junkdrawer]

4. Point of clarification: While I want to say the Enron/Harkin/Haliburton...

scandals, in the mainstream press it was always the Enron scandal. Kenny Lay is still free (and rather wealthy) after the Enron collapse, so Rove will have to find some way to blunt the issue. I think hanging Davis out to dry is a big part of the plan.

[bryant69]

10. Might work for Enron

But Haliburton is my Scandal Pick. It is much easier to paint a picture tying Cheney to Haliburton (since he was employed by Haliburton) and the actions are a bit more egrigious. Plus it also ties back to Iraq.

[Junkdrawer]

11. If Cheney runs, he will be a liability. No way around that. n/t

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Yes he was!

The Repugs do not believe in Freedom and Democracy and will do what ever it takes to win!

[ilpostino]

5. Get off it

I don't know if it's only those who live outside California who persist in seeing Rove's hand behind this whole recall movement, but anyone who lives here and is paying attention knows it's just not so. First off, the WH backed Riordan in the Repub primary, and Davis outmanuevered them by making Simon his opponent (much to Rove's dismay). Second, the recall was pushed by angry, frustrated Simon supporters, who are far more transparently Far Right than Bush and Rove like. Third, and most important, going into 2004, they had a much easier task of taking California if the state's still in the fiscal toilet and the unpopular Davis has his hand on the flusher. Why in the world would they want to change that rosy scenario for this totally unpredicatable monster that's come out of the recall?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. I agree to a point

they certainly had their hands full with Iraq/PNAC issues to be shilled so they WERE busy doing other things. But a propoganda victory by Arnold would be just what they need, and they can always blame everything on Davis no matter. Besides, my understanding is that it was D. Issa all the way, so the power of the effort was fairly concentrated in the hands of one man. So to think it is part of an effort to "get Davis" no matter what only seems logical.

[yolatengo]

8. agree, but...

Suppose Rove wants:

a) a Repub, ANY Repub as Gov to help hand Cali to the GOP in 2004.
b) The Repub Gov to piss and moan, night and day, from their inaugeration
to Nov, 2004 that 'all the problems in California are due to Gray
Davis and those damn liberal Democrats that run Sacramento!"

c) Mr Rove gets both a GOP gov AND a GOP majority in Sacramento!
Well, maybe not a majority, but they pick up a lot of seats.

If the Dem party can't counter the "it's all the Democrats' fault" meme,
they may find themselves outmanuvered come 2004.

It seems that the "all our big problems are caused by the party in
power" only works for Democrats .

But, if Ahnuld "can't get anything done because those bureaucrats
up in the State House" are thwarting him in every way they can
(because they're a majority AND because they're pissed off about the
recall), who will the media blame?

"Give Arnie a Majority and he'll, um, fix the deficit, cut taxes and create
jobs! Just like Dubya did in Texas and DC!".

Sure beats thinking. Or taking a goddamn CIVICS lesson!

Bigby

[Junkdrawer]

9. Let's just wait and see...

how Bush handles the inevitable "What about Enron?" questions, shall we? My bet is "Gray Davis / Martha Stewart".

[salmonhorse]

12. Under estimating Nixon's old 'dirty tricks' man...

...is not a good use of time ~

[readmylips]

7. 300% bush/cheney/rove /repig nazi dirty trick...

If you think back to before Prez Clinton, the repig nazi concervatives had the plan of taking over the country and killing the democrat party. Repig nazi religioius nuts were put into place. Repig nazi so called journalists and pundits were put into place. Millions of $ were put into place to put Pig Linda Trip, Paula Jones, Jennifer Flowers, Lewinskey and all the other paid repig propaganda and liers into place. Throw in 2000 election mess and destruction of Al Gore.

This has been a massive coupe da tet by the repig nazi elites. Now you have a real nazi running as top electable in California.

Are we in real trouble? Only the power of the people will rescue this country.

We the people must fight back.

[Clete]

13. It's a distraction from those stories you listed.

Most people are not DU'ers and are easily led from this news to that story. I don't know if the WH engineered the recall, although I think they did. However, if they didn't, it was a godsend to them. While the media is hooing and hawing over Arnold, the spotlight has been taken off of them.

[Mel]

14. It's a Coup

with long term plans for a Arnold presidency. Look at this as Hatch was all slung up in the take Clinton down mess so too is he in this mess. This is a Coup I repeat this is a Coup.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/voices/200307/0721election.html

COLUMN: Terminator 4: Election Day
By Kelly Rooney
Daily Illini (U. Illinois)
07/21/2003
(U-WIRE) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Looks like my favorite Utah senator, Orrin Hatch, is up to his old tricks again. Somehow he's found free time in his on-going quest for destroying computers with illegally downloaded music to push for a new constitutional amendment.

The "Hatch Amendment" as it has been dubbed, would allow foreign-born U.S. citizens, who've lived in America for 20 years, to be eligible to run for president.

Though the amendment seems to benefit foreign-born political office holders, Sen. Hatch appears to have one particular Austrian-born friend in mind. Yes, if Orrin Hatch had his druthers our 44th president of the United States would be none other than Arnold "Terminator" Schwarzenegger. Look no farther than California to see how the road to the White House is being paved for the body-building actor.

First off, the amendment conveniently comes in light of the recent Republican campaign to recall California Governor Gray Davis. With a state budget deficit reaching $38 billion, the Democratic Governor's popularity has plummeted, sparking the GOP's push for his recall. Congressman Dan Issa has personally funded the recall by paying $1 million out of his own pocket and getting near 900,000 people to sign the petition for the recall, according to Republican party officials. Once state officials have certified the signatures, a new election will be held as soon as this fall. </snip>
 

[yolatengo]

15. why the hell

would religious nutjob, puritan whacko, far right wing ideologue
Orrin Hatch want Ahnuld as President?

Do they want another manipulatable Reagan? Hell, just pick another
one of the Bushes! Why bother with loose cannon, gay-friendly,
(probably BJ-in-the-Oval-Office-getting), nazi-kinder, probable
liver disease candidate (from the 'roids) Terminator?

Or is it for someone else he toils for President? Could it be...Satan?

How can a foreign-born Antichrist win election to the Presidency
without the Hatch Amendment!?!

Sorry, not meant to be a joke, really; I thought that Anti-Christ thing
up just now as semi-serious. I just don't get why Hatch would like
Ahnuld AT ALL.

Bigby

[Clete]

16. Arnold can't run for the President.

Only citizens who are native born can. It would take an ammendment to the Constitution to do this. If you see such an ammendment being offered in the future, then beware.

[Mel]

18. I heard it with my own ears

when Hatch got up on the Senate floor and supported doing such it's already in the works. See my article oh, yes they are going to try it.

[Junkdrawer]

20. Mel, I found this so interesting, I gave it its own thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=162441

[Junkdrawer]

17. Interesting. The House introduced the amendment a month earlier...

Hatch latest to back presidency amendment
By JOAO FERREIRA, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD -- U.S. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, introduced a proposed constitutional amendment this week that would allow foreign-born citizens to become president. For one New Bedford resident, this is a victory.
A bipartisan group of House legislators introduced a similar amendment about a month ago.
"This is a major, major, historical step," said Raimundo Delgado, a New Bedford resident who has spent 25 years fighting for such an amendment. "Now we have another front that we were looking for in the Senate side. This guy is the leader of the Republicans. He has been in the Senate for 27 years. He is a very prominent leader."

more...
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/07-03/07-12-03/a01lo010.htm

[jiacinto]

19. Of course he was

That is not in question.