 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. "The script couldn't have been written any better by the Schwarzenegger campaign," said GOP consultant Kevin Spillane. "Whichever Democrat wins is going to be a dirty campaigner and a tax increaser."
| I used to read Spillane's novels all the time. |
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.
| They sound like typical Democrats to me... |
"Whoever emerges on top June 6 is going to be as wounded as a candidate could be," said Mervin Field, a veteran California pollster. Schwarzenegger has come off statesmanlike in comparison, a reversal from last year, when the movie star's pugnacious, borrowed-from-Hollywood language frequently got him in trouble.
| Mostly with Democrat hacktivists, I think. And he did add "girly men" to the language. That's a contribution. |
The infighting is exactly what California's Democrats feared might happen. |