Buffett joins team Terminator
By BARRIE McKENNA
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Aug. 14, 2003
Washington Decried by pundits as a political circus, the colourful
race to recall California Governor Gray Davis is suddenly attracting
some big-time talent.
U.S. President George W. Bush is scheduled to visit the state today. Mr.
Davis is getting advice from former president Bill Clinton. And
gubernatorial hopeful Arnold Schwarzenegger has added billionaire
investment guru Warren Buffett to his campaign as a financial adviser.
I have known Arnold for years and know he'll be a great governor, Mr.
Buffett said yesterday. 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.
That Mr. Schwarzenegger could attract the likes of Mr. Buffett to his
campaign is the latest sign of just how serious the recall race has
become.
He is the greatest investor ever my mentor and my hero, Mr.
Schwarzenegger said of Mr. Buffett in a statement.
According to Schwarzenegger spokesman Sean Walsh, Mr. Buffett's role
will be to put together a team of economists and business leaders to
address the issues facing California.
Until now, Mr. Buffett has been a committed Democrat. Mr.
Schwarzenegger, the hulking Austrian star of movies such as The
Terminator and Twins, is running as a Republican.
If Warren Buffett thinks Arnold Schwarzenegger has the chops to run the
world's sixth-largest economy, I would take that as quite an
endorsement, political analyst Bill Whalen of Stanford University's
Hoover Institution told The Wall Street Journal.
California, traditionally a Democratic stronghold, is the most important
piece of political turf in the United States. And many Republicans
apparently see a golden opportunity to grab it back.
Mr. Bush, whose visit to California today is to raise funds for his
re-election, said even he's watching the unusual political spectacle
unfolding in the most populous U.S. state.
Speaking to reporters at his Texas ranch yesterday, Mr. Bush called the
wacky campaign a fascinating bit of political drama but gave no
indication that he intends to wade into the matter on behalf of any
candidate. However, he made a point of saying that Mr. Schwarzenegger
would make a good governor.
I'm going [to California] to campaign for George W., the President
said.
However, some Democrats have speculated that the White House might be
working behind the scenes to unseat the increasingly unpopular Mr.
Davis, whose reputation has been tarred by the state's record budget
deficit.
I have believed from Day 1 that the White House is involved, long-time
Davis adviser Garry South said. No one can convince me that if Karl
Rove did not want it to happen that he couldn't call off the dogs, he
said, referring to Mr. Bush's political adviser.
Adding to the intrigue, Republican Congressman David Dreier, who
co-chaired Mr. Bush's 2000 California campaign, recently joined the
Schwarzenegger camp.
But he has denied there is any White House plot afoot.
I'd been on the phone with Karl Rove to encourage the President to stay
out of it, Mr. Dreier said. The advice I've been giving is that they
should not endorse, and should not get involved. This is an issue for
Californians.
Not to be outdone, Mr. Davis reportedly has the help of Mr. Clinton, who
narrowly avoided being forced out of office himself by an impeachment
vote.
Close associates of Mr. Clinton told The New York Times this week that
he has been drawn to Mr. Davis's plight by their similar and disturbing
political predicaments.
Mr. Clinton met privately with Mr. Davis and his wife, Sharon, during a
union convention in Chicago last week, and offered a political tutorial
on how Mr. Davis should beat back the drive to oust him. (Points 1, 2
and 3: Act gubernatorial; make sure the fight is about the recall
initiative and not about Mr. Davis; don't get baited by the media into a
fight with Mr. Schwarzenegger, according to one participant.)
The game plan Mr. Clinton laid out, one of his associates noted with
some amusement, is strikingly similar to the one he employed to survive
impeachment.
You continue to do the job, and you continue to tell people that you
are doing the job,' Mr. Clinton told Mr. Davis, according to a person
who attended the meeting. You've got to keep your focus on being
governor, no matter what the political pressure.
With reports from AP, NYT
