Will Arianna quit the race?

[Le Jacquelope]

One can only wish!

Huffington May Leave Calif. Recall Race
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - Independent candidate Arianna Huffington weighed whether to drop out of California's gubernatorial recall race Tuesday and throw her support behind the Democrats in order to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Huffington acknowledged that the momentum of Schwarzenegger's campaign had intensified the pressure to drop out, and she said keeping the governor's office out of GOP hands was her top priority. She scheduled an appearance Tuesday night on CNN's "Larry King Live" to discuss her plans.

"I'm going to make a decision with my supporters and my friends," Huffington said. "Whatever decision we make, we make them together."

Huffington, a 53-year old columnist and TV pundit who made the transformation from Republican to fiery populist, had the support of just 2 percent of likely voters in a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released Sunday.

Huffington traded insults with Schwarzenegger during last week's debate and accused the action star and former bodybuilder of being a misogynist. Among other things, she has also attacked Schwarzenegger for driving a gas-guzzling Hummer and accused him of overstating California's economic troubles.

Green Party candidate Peter Camejo said Huffington called him on Sunday to let him know she was considering getting out of the race. If she dropped out, Huffington would ask her supporters to vote against Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites)' recall and for Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as the replacement candidate, Camejo said.

Van Jones, Huffington's chief grassroots organizer, said Huffington was trying "to position herself so she can maximize opposition to the Schwarzenegger coup."

The Huffington camp declined further comment until the TV appearance.

With less than a week remaining until the Oct. 7 election, the recall campaign has turned into a two-candidate race between Davis and Schwarzenegger.

In the CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll, 40 percent of likely voters supported the action hero and 25 percent backed Bustamante, a Democrat who is running in case Davis is recalled.

The poll showed that 63 percent of likely voters were in favor of removing Davis. Other polls, however, depict a much tighter race on the recall issue and among the replacement candidates.

Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock had 18 percent and has repeatedly vowed to stay in the race despite pressure to pull out to avoid splitting the Republican vote. Camejo, who had 5 percent, also said he has no intention of withdrawing.

In other developments Tuesday:

_The spiraling cost of workers' compensation has emerged as a hot-button issue in the debate over the economy and keeping businesses from leaving California. Davis was prepared to sign sweeping changes in state workers' compensation rules Tuesday, part of his strategy of doing the state's business while campaigning to save his job.

_ Schwarzenegger responded for the first time publicly to a debate challenge by Davis. "The first item on the ballot is should we recall Gray Davis or not. This is between him and the people. ... He has to debate the people of California," Schwarzenegger said on KGO-AM in San Francisco.

 

[MNGuy]

If it happens, then I know prayer works, and I soon will be throat fucking Britney Spears.

 

[zipman]

I look forward to the day that partisan politics like this is not the primary goal of candidates on either side.

Huffington acknowledged that the momentum of Schwarzenegger's campaign had intensified the pressure to drop out, and she said keeping the governor's office out of GOP hands was her top priority.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

If it happens, then I know prayer works, and I soon will be throat fucking Britney Spears.

Why set your ambitions so low?

 

[Linedrive]

I could care less if she dropped out, maybe trying to avoid having her clock cleaned on election day too. She is obnoxious and was a complete embarassment to the Independent Party at that debate

 

[MNGuy]

Why set your ambitions so low?

Test prayer. The real ones are better.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Test prayer. The real ones are better.

Be careful that bruce almighty doesn't accidentally answer that one, though

 

[Le Jacquelope]

News Flash: she's dropped out for partisan reasons: in hopes that Arnie will lose the election.

Huffington Quits California Recall Race

But Huffington declined to specifically endorse Bustamante, merely urging her supporters to "vote strategically" in an effort to stop a Republican takeover of California. She urged people to vote against the recall and then consider their options for the second half of the Oct. 7 ballot.

Van Jones, Huffington's chief grass-roots organizer, said Huffington was trying "to position herself so she can maximize opposition to the Schwarzenegger coup."

ROTFLMAO