Hotline After Dark -- Call Off The Hunt

"World News," Evening News" and "Nightly News" each led with the swine flu outbreak.

There was very little on TV aside from swine flu and the torture debate. S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) appeared on the "Rachel Maddow Show" to talk about his candidacy for CA GOV.

Newsom: "Republican registration is way down. We have a governor that candidly, is acting more like a Democrat each and every day. He's not the governor that came in. ... He's still not, from my perspective, progressive enough, but he's moved in the right direction."

Newsom, asked how Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is not progressive enough: "There's a lot of various bills that he vetoed not once but twice, the same-sex marriage bill. He says one thing on that and then acts in a different way. It's not atypical, I'm sort of used to hearing politicians say one thing and doing ultimately another. ... He actually advanced a lot of initiatives that helped put the state in this fiscal deficit. ... He's borrowing more prolifically than any governor of any state in American history."

More after the jump, including GM CEO Fritz Henderson on the auto industry.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

More Newsom: "But, at least, some of the things he's now doing, I think, are more enlightened because he's dealing with reality. ... Governor Schwarzenegger, at least to his credit, ... extended that hand and extended it gracefully to President Obama and, obviously, has brought down ... we estimate $50 billion of federal stimulus money."

MSNBC's Maddow: "How come it doesn't feel anymore like Republicans can go from California into national office? I mean, obviously, Governor Schwarzenegger's got a specific citizenship issue. ... But this doesn't feel like the launching pad of the next Ronald Reagan?"

Newsom: "It tends to be a little bit more moderate state and tends to elect more moderate Republicans, or ultimately, they go out a little bit more moderate. ... Now, we're much more progressive than we've ever been, and people, I think, though, are less inclined to be Democrats or Republicans right now. I think people across party lines are looking for someone to get things done, looking for real leadership, looking for bold ideas."

Maddow: "You're associated nationally with the issue of gay marriage. ... That has certainly helped you here ... in San Francisco. But the common wisdom has been that it might not help you statewide and it might not help you nationally. Should that common wisdom change now?"

Newsom: "Maybe Obama was right, as Iowa goes, so goes the nation. I never thought I'd hear that as a Californian. ... Look, this is not even on people's radar. I'm traveling all up and down the state ... and the reality is, it's not even on the top 10 list. People are worried about their jobs, their homes, either they've been foreclosed or the values dropped precipitously, their health care, et cetera. You know the routine."

More Newsom: "Regardless of party, the issues of guns, gods and gays, these were the three Gs that define so much of the wedge politics that we've come to know from the hardcore right in this country, is beginning to wane. That dog, I don't think, is not going to hunt anymore."

Newsom, asked if Proposition 8 would pass if it was on the ballot again: "I think it would today. I think a lot folk have voted for it now step back and say, 'Boy ... did I need to do that?' A lot of people are hurt, 18,000 couples are waiting for their day in court, literally. ... I think people are starting to pause and say, 'Maybe we have other things we should be focused on'" (MSNBC, 4/27).

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

Meanwhile, Henderson was in the "Situation Room" to discuss the chances GM will file for bankruptcy protection by the end of May '09.

Henderson: "Today, we launched a bond exchange that provided options for bondholders and it also provided conditions to the bond exchange. We have been clear through this process and certainly we were in the prospectus that if we can't achieve our goals outside of a bankruptcy process which is our objective, then we would do it inside of one."

More Henderson: "So this is an important step today, it gives us a chance to execute this restructuring outside of a bankruptcy process. But if it doesn't succeed, if we're not able to accomplish what we need to accomplish, we would fall into a bankruptcy process by June 1."

CNN's Blitzer: "Make the case to the viewers right now, given the talk of bankruptcy and the major problems GM is facing right now, why should someone go out and by a GM car?"

Henderson: "First of all we have to tap the cars and trucks, first of all they should do it because they love our cars and truck. First of all, we will succeed and we will get through this."

More Henderson: "President Obama in his speech talked about the fact that GM could be viable and would be viable and successful going forward. He basically then went on to stand behind the service and warranty of our products and services saying that the customers can have confidence that they can buy a GM car or truck and we will get through this and we will take care of customers. We will be there and you're going to be really happy buying a GM car or truck" (CNN, 4/27).