Lungren Goes on Offensive, Expects to Win

State treasurer nominee Rep. Daniel E. Lungren went on the offensive Thursday to counter claims that his conservative record in Congress places him out of the political mainstream, declaring “virtually every criticism they lodged against me could be lodged against Gov. George Deukmejian or Ronald Reagan.”

Expressing unshaken confidence that both houses of the Legislature will vote to confirm him, the Long Beach Republican told reporters at a hastily arranged news conference that he will not ask Deukmejian to withdraw his name from consideration under any circumstances, despite reports of mounting opposition by Democrats in the Assembly.

“Why would I withdraw when I expect to win?” Lungren said. “My voting record is reflected in the philosophy expressed by Gov. Deukmejian and Ronald Reagan. That, I would argue, is in the mainstream not only of Republicans but in the mainstream of California voters at large as evidenced by the results of the last elections.”

This week, 18 Democrats, including several moderates, announced their intention to oppose Lungren’s confirmation when it goes to the Assembly floor sometime next month. A handful of Senate Democrats also have indicated their opposition.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), who Wednesday ordered a 19-member committee to delay an advisory vote on the Lungren confirmation, said he expects at least 10 other Democrats to join the opposition. While that would still leave Lungren with a comfortable margin of support, recent announcements postponing floor votes in both houses give Lungren’s critics more time to build opposition.

Lungren, however, tried to put the best face on the situation. He asserted that any postponement brings him closer to success since state law allows him to automatically assume the treasurer’s office March 1 unless he is rejected before then.

“I don’t judge a delay in any way to be detrimental to my prospects,” said Lungren, who added: “I’m not bothered by the fact that both the Assembly and the state Senate are dominated by the Democratic Party. I’m used to that sort of thing. Being in the (Democratic-controlled) House of Representatives, you figure out ways to win.”

Lungren generally received high marks for his demeanor during four days of Assembly confirmation hearings. Most Democrats on the reviewing panel said they could find little in his character or background to disqualify him, although several members complained of Lungren’s lack of financial experience.

Democrats, instead, have decided to focus on what they consider to be the broad powers of the treasurer to set policy and to determine timing for the sale of bonds used to finance an array of government and private projects.

Several leading Democrats, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos and Assemblywoman Maxine Waters, both of Los Angeles, have castigated Lungren for his votes against measures such as individual reparations for Japanese interned during World War II, clean water legislation, the Civil Rights Act of 1984 and strong sanctions against South Africa.

Such votes, these critics contend, show that Lungren will not be sensitive to the plight of the poor and minorities when making decisions as treasurer.

Lungren had pledged during the Assembly hearings to carry out the policies enacted by the Legislature and governor regardless of his personal views. On Thursday, he downplayed the continued criticism from Democrats as partisan posturing.

“I’m proud of my record in the U.S. Congress,” Lungren said. Later he added, “Look, if they took two months to figure out that I’m a conservative Republican in the mold of Ronald Reagan and George Deukmejian, I could have saved them two months. All they had to do was ask me. I plead guilty.”

Lungren is spending much time in the Capitol these days lobbying Democrats and calling on Republicans to step up their support.

Although he declined to say whether he has lined up commitments of support from any Democrats, Lungren said that several have sent messages to him “through intermediaries” saying he should not take their criticism personally because much of it results from “disputes within their own caucuses.”