By The Prowler on 8.27.03 @ 12:03AM
Cruz Bustamante risks nuclear reaction. Plus: Bill Thomas remains radioactive.
CRUZ CONTROL
Apparently Gov. Gray Davis knew he couldn't trust
his so called "trusty sidekick", Lt. Gov. Cruz
Bustamante. According to a Davis aide in Sacramento,
Davis's campaign staff has been keeping an opposition file on the
state's No. 2 Democrat, who is now challenging Davis in the recall
election.
Bustamante, a long-time state political hack in the mold of
Davis himself, has made a point of not criticizing his leader out
of concern that Davis will go "nuclear," according to the
staffer.
"Cruz has to be careful," says the staffer. "Davis has enough
pride that if Cruz were to step out of line and go negative against
the boss, he [Davis] could start leaking."
Cruz may also not be stepping out on Davis, because of the money
it would cost him. Already, Bustamante has been reaching out to
many of Davis's backers in organized labor and other special
interests. For example, Bustamante recently accepted a $300,000
donation from the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a San
Diego-based Indian tribe, which runs a casino. Bustamante is
expecting similar checks from several state employee unions and
government associations.
Bustamante, though, may be cruzin' for a bruisin' as he gets
bolder in his attacks on Davis. Over the past few days, on the
advice of several Washington, D.C.-based advisers, such as former
Clinton aide Ann Lewis, Bustamante has been
calling Davis "arrogant" and "aloof" while portraying himself as
plugged in and engaged.
"Davis isn't going to sit back and take it," says the governor's
staffer. "He's spoken to former President Clinton about the
McAuliffe people out here who claim they are working for the state
party, but they are clearly working for Cruz. It's dirty pool."
STILL RADIOACTIVE
No one should be surprised that Senator Charles
Grassley pulled aides out of the conference meetings with
Rep. Bill Thomas and other House members
discussing Medicare reform.
Grassley and Thomas have been warring ever since Thomas stalked
out of his own office, leaving Grassley sitting there wondering
where the congressman had gone.
It was one more in a series of odd moves by Thomas leading up to
his notorious shouting match with Democratic House members earlier
this summer.
topics:
NATO, Unions, Medicare
