Hope he runs the state better than he runs his campaign

Schwarzenegger Campaign Backs Off on Taxes
Fri August 22, 2003 12:19 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An aide to California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Thursday the movie star would consider boosting taxes to mend the state's battered finances, but later said he had misspoken.

The Republican actor, who is running to replace Gov. Gray Davis in an Oct. 7 recall vote, said on Wednesday he opposed tax hikes except to possibly deal with something like a natural disaster.

But his spokesman Sean Walsh told Fox News that huge budget shortfalls and protecting the state's credit could warrant such increases.

By nighttime, Walsh said he had misspoken and said Schwarzenegger's position was clearly to cut spending rather than raise any taxes. "I was not clear about it in the television interview I did today," he said.

Actually, I hope he never runs the state, but if he does....Sean, how can you be "clear" about something so uncertain? Strangely enough, Ahnold's first instinct was to give the honest answer-- can't rule out taxes at this point. Then he decided he had to espouse at least one Republican "principle," even if it wasn't true. He's already lost the social conservatives, and can't afford to lose the economic ones. Next question, what do you plan to cut to balance the budget? We're waiting...