Simon Bashes Ah-nold in New Ads

Fox News ^ | Sunday, August 17, 2003 | Major Garrett

[TBP]

LOS ANGELES — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon will run the first radio ads directly attacking GOP front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger by focusing on the issue his economic advisor raised by suggesting Californians might need to pay higher property taxes.

The radio spots have been cut and may begin airing on California talk radio stations as early as Sunday night, Simon spokesman K.B. Forbes told Fox News early Sunday.

Forbes would not say how much the campaign spent on the radio adds or which stations would carry them, but did say the anti-Schwarzenegger spots would run "on major talk radio stations up and down the state."

"The ad will say Californians are already facing a tripling of the car tax and now Arnold Schwarzenegger's top economic adviser is suggesting a tripling of the property tax," Forbes said. "We're looking for a strong face-to-face debate on this issue."

The Simon ads seek to capitalize on the flap generated Friday when the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Schwarzenegger's chief economic adviser, billionaire investment wizard Warren Buffett, in which he said California's property taxes were too low and that the law mandating the property tax levels — Proposition 13 — was nonsensical.

Proposition 13 was passed in 1978 and cut property taxes by 30 percent and placed a 2 percent ceiling on allowable property tax increases in future years. California Republicans consider it the most important initiative in state history and conservatives nationwide saw it as the beginning of the tax revolt that spread across the country and helped fuel Ronald Reagan's bid for the presidency in 1980.

One Schwarzenegger supporter with ties to the national party and the Bush White House called the property tax flap a huge problem for the campaign. The source also told Fox News many of the actor's most ardent supporters were worried the campaign was underestimating the issue's explosive nature.

"No one in California messes with Proposition 13 and especially not a Republican," the source said. "They have to come out much harder than they have and declare that Arnold will stand by Proposition 13 and will never even listen to anyone who says otherwise."

Schwarzenegger's campaign has tried to distance itself from Buffett's remarks. Campaign spokesman Rob Stutzman told Fox News that the candidate disagrees with Buffett's remarks on the issue and that the international film star considers Howard Jarvis, the author of Proposition 13, the "original tax cut terminator." Buffett will remain the campaign's top economic adviser, however.

Stuztman said if elected governor, Schwarzenegger would be a "fierce protector" of Proposition 13.

Buffett did not say California's property taxes must be raised to solve the state's budget crisis but made it clear to the interviewer the inference could be fairly drawn.

When informed of the Simon attack ad, the Schwarzenegger campaign described the actor as "the staunchest defender of Proposition 13 of any candidate in the field."

"That's why Arnold was invited to be the keynote speaker at Howard Jarvis's Silver Anniversary Gala celebrating the 25th anniversary of Proposition 13," Stutzman told Fox News early Sunday.

[TBP]

It's about time someone identified Schwarzenegger for the Kenndy Republican high-taxing liberal that he is.

I can hardly wait to see my fellow conservatives pile on Bill Simon for doing this.

[MJY1288]

Vote McClintock

[Maynerd]

The self-immolation of CA Republicans continues. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

[FairOpinion]

Simon is putting out those ads, even though he KNOWS they are lies.

====

"Just to be sure, the campaign released a paper statement from Schwarzenegger reiterating his support for the tax-cutting measure, a popular rallying point for conservatives.

``Warren and I have talked about Proposition 13, and he clearly understands my strong unequivocal support for the initiative,'' the statement read. ``I expect many dynamic ideas and policy recommendations from my team. But with regards to my position on Proposition 13, my position is rock solid in support of that initiative.''

In the meantime, Simon is resorts to deliberate lying:

``Gray Davis tripled our car taxes, and now Arnold Schwarzenegger's team wants to triple our property taxes,'' Simon said in the ad. ``Which just goes to show you, don't send a liberal to do a tax-fighters job.''

Schwarzenegger spokesman Rob Stutzman accused Simon, who ran against Davis last year, of misrepresenting the actor's positions.

``Bill Simon looks like he learned a lesson from Gray Davis last year and is putting distortions on the air,'' Stutzman said. ``He knows as well as anyone that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a staunch supporter of Prop 13 and to say anything else is disingenuous.''


http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/6556358.htm

[Jeff Gordon]

What an idiot. No wonder we have such strong anti-gun laws here in California. The liberals are helping prevent brain dead GOPers like Simon avoid shooting themselves in the foot - for real.

[Torie]

Into the pit we go. I will have to see the ad, before commenting definitively, but if it goes beyond questioning Arnold's judgment in taking Buffett on, it will be spam. Arnold didn't have a clue as to what he would do as to details when he hopped in. Maybe he is taking a cram course. I certainly hope so. When he joined the fray, he was a tabula raza, and presumably now a work in progress. By the way, when will Arnold come out of closet, and let it all hang out?

McClintock has been very careful to avoid dumping on other Pubbies, and instead try to highlight what he wants to do. He has been careful not to get trigger happy. But then McClintock is a very sober and careful man. That much is clear.

[finnman69]

Bustamente will win the election. Im calling it now.

[YankeeinOkieville]

I may be wrong about this, after all as an independant, I've never had the privilege of voting in a primary, but if there is no primary for this recall vote, wouldn't it be better for a Republican candidate to say things against Gov. Davis than another Republican? Splitting the party in this type of election and all that.

I am not in California, so can sit back and enjoy the circus, but sometimes I think politicians shoot themselves.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

It seems that the clueless Bill Simon learned one thing from his disaster with Gray Davis: how to throw mud.

[Torie]

now Arnold Schwarzenegger's team wants to triple our property taxes,

Yep, that is a very close to a lie. But not quite. He said Arnold's "team," which gives him an out. Apparently Buffett equals a "team." I don't know where the cube exponent came from. Maybe Simon was extrapolating.

[Hildy]

And the Dems are just LAUGHING...LAUGHING...LAUGHING. I swear that Simon is on the DNC payroll. It is the only explanation.

[Dan from Michigan]

I like it. Simon and Arnold beat up each other. McClintock comes out of this Scot-Free.

[TBP]

According to Newsmax, here is the text of the Simon ad:

Announcer: Last November, Gray Davis lied about the budget. He lied about the deficit. And he lied about Bill Simon.

But it turns out Bill Simon was right -- the Davis budget was a fraud.

While Davis presided over the largest spending binge in state history, Bill Simon was proposing to dramatically cut spending -- to root out waste, fraud and corruption.

Now, on October 7th, we can set California back on the path to financial accountability by electing a tough, fiscal conservative – Bill Simon.

Bill Simon: I’m Bill Simon. Gray Davis tripled our car taxes, and now Arnold Schwarzenegger’s team wants to triple our property taxes, which just goes to show you, don’t send a liberal to do a tax-fighter’s job.

I’ve signed the pledge not to raise taxes. Isn’t it time Arnold told us where he stood?

Announcer: Ready to put government on a diet?

Bill Simon. Right on the issues. Right for California.

[Torie]

Maybe the backlash on this will take Simon out. One can dream. Simon really has no function in this race. He fails to fill any niche. His only pull is with conservatives that don't know much about politics, and don't follow political news stories.

[spokeshave]

Strategery....(1) Issa funds the re-call.....and

2. Simon funds the anti-Arnie ads ....leaving the winner....

McClintock.

[Shmokey]

"Bustamente will win the election. Im calling it now."

Too late, I called it yesterday. I copywrited "bustamontetwopeat and already made T-shirts. (Sarcasm off)

[FairOpinion]

ping

[muleskinner]

Simon must have the same advisors as last time. He better take these off the air by Monday, 'cuz this isn't going to help him (Simon) at all. Continuing to run the ads will only reinforce the already percieved partial-goofiness.

[MississippiMan]

I can hardly wait to see my fellow conservatives pile on Bill Simon for doing this.

Well, you won't have to look very far. Pretty healthy stream of it going already. BTW, didn't this board almost unanimously support Simon as a fabulous candidate/man/conservative not all that long ago?

MM