Curb Promises to Give Deukmejian Full Support--Even if He Disagrees

Mike Curb, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, promised Gov. George Deukmejian in a private meeting Tuesday that he would support the governor’s position on every issue--even in cases where he might personally disagree with the stance.

Deukmejian defeated Curb in a bitter GOP gubernatorial primary four years ago, and their unannounced meeting Tuesday in a Sacramento hotel room was the first substantive session between the two former political rivals since that 1982 campaign.

“I told him that I felt comfortable endorsing his entire platform and his programs and that I would support his positions on the ballot initiatives and the judges,” said Curb, who as lieutenant governor during the second term of Democratic Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. constantly was at odds with the governor.

Curb, in a bid to win his old job back, is challenging Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy in the Nov. 4 election and has been hoping to repair what he believes was damage done to his image during the Brown years by now being a “team” player with Deukmejian.

“Jerry Brown and I didn’t agree on anything. George Deukmejian and I agree on everything,” he said in an interview shortly after his meeting with Deukmejian.

What’s more, Curb said if he and Deukmejian happen sometime to disagree, he will change his position to conform with the governor’s.

While Curb seemed to be eager to talk to a reporter about the meeting, Deukmejian’s campaign manager, Larry Thomas, downplayed the importance of the session. He insisted, as did Curb, that the two never have been far apart philosophically.

The meeting was not announced by the governor’s aides. And, in a somewhat unusual move, it was not held in the governor’s Capitol office, but in Curb’s hotel room in downtown Sacramento.

The two originally were scheduled to have lunch together, either in Deukmejian’s office or a nearby restaurant. But the governor changed plans and decided it would be more “convenient” to meet in Curb’s hotel room for breakfast, Thomas said.

“(Curb) said he wanted to complement the governor,” Thomas added. “We welcome that.”

At the meeting with Deukmejian and Curb were Steven A. Merksamer, Deukmejian’s chief of staff, and Fred Karger, the former lieutenant governor’s campaign manager.

During the post-meeting interview, the issue of Curb’s loyalty to Deukmejian arose when Curb was questioned about Proposition 61, a November ballot initiative that would place a lid on salaries of state employees. McCarthy recently sent letters to state court judges containing an article saying Curb supported the initiative.

Curb insisted to The Times that contrary to the published report, he opposes the initiative. When asked what he would do if Deukmejian, who has yet to announce his position on ballot initiatives, unexpectedly took the opposite position, Curb said:

“If his position should be different than mine, I would certainly modify mine.”

Curb said, “He is going to announce shortly his position on the initiatives, and I am going to support him across the board.”

The Republican candidate said he also would back up Deukmejian when he announces which state Supreme Court judges he is going to support for reelection.

Pledge ‘Formalized’

Curb said he “formalized” this pledge to Deukmejian during the hour-and-a-half breakfast meeting as they discussed their positions on various issues.

Curb acknowledged during the interview that he might be providing McCarthy with a campaign issue by taking a “me-too” approach, but said he believes the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

“I want the people of California to know that it is possible to elect a lieutenant governor who will totally support Gov. Deukmejian’s views, which guarantees a continuity and which guarantees a good working partnership,” he said.

Divestiture Position

Curb said, for example, that he supports Deukmejian’s recent turnaround on the full divestiture of University of California pension fund investments in companies that do business with South Africa.

“There have to be better things we can do with our university funds than to make controversial investments of this kind and I support the governor completely,” he said.

This was was the first private, prolonged meeting between the two men since their 1982 primary fight.

During the campaign four years ago, the two men had numerous disagreements, with Curb generally portraying Deukmejian as a more liberal Republican. On Tuesday, Curb said there was nothing now between the two except mutual accord.

Curb was in the state Capitol Monday and Tuesday for briefings and meetings with Administration and Republican legislative leaders.

Rose King, who is managing McCarthy’s reelection campaign, said Curb’s promise to Deukmejian was consistent with his record as lieutenant governor.

“I think the position illustrates his pattern of having no convictions of his own,” she said.