Deukmejian Urges GOP to Vote With ‘Gang of Five’

Gov. George Deukmejian signaled to Assembly Republicans on Wednesday that they should continue to vote with the rebel Democratic “Gang of Five” on conservative issues, even if it does mean straining a somewhat cozy relationship with Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco).

“I don’t think that they have any choice,” Deukmejian said in an interview with reporters from five newspapers, including The Times.

It was the first time Deukmejian has talked publicly about the conservative rebel Democrats, who are raising political havoc among Democrats and Republicans alike during an escalating power struggle in the state Assembly.

“A lot will depend (in the future) on what issues they pick,” Deukmejian said of the five dissidents. “But the issues they’ve picked so far, I mean, we’ve been very pleased about it.”

The governor’s comments were particularly significant because of a split within the GOP caucus over just how far it should go in helping the five dissident Democrats embarrass Brown, who in the past has had a close working relationship with Assembly Minority Leader Pat Nolan of Glendale.

In fact, Nolan--according to many Capitol sources--was elected minority leader 3 1/2 years ago with Brown’s behind-the-scenes help, after agreeing not to politically harass the Speaker, as had Robert W. Naylor, the GOP leader whom Nolan ousted. Naylor now is Republican state party chairman.

But, because of the Gang of Five’s increasing attacks on Brown’s leadership, Nolan recently has come under increasing pressure from Republican colleagues to lead them into battle against the Speaker.

As a measure of Brown’s declining power, the Gang of Five with unanimous GOP help pulled off a move on Tuesday that had not been accomplished in 28 years: the forcible withdrawal of a bill from a committee. In this case, it was a measure Republicans felt they dare not oppose: a bill extending the death penalty to murderers of children. Today, the gang also intends to try to amend into a bill--over Brown’s opposition--a provision to allow wiretapping of suspected drug dealers.

Dismisses Argument

Deukmejian, who served in the Legislature for 16 years and held GOP leadership posts in both houses, dismissed the traditional argument of Assembly Speakers and Senate presidents pro tem that withdrawing a bill from committee--and other parliamentary tactics now being used by the gang--amount to a politically sacrilegeous “violation of the committee system.”

“We have seen the Speaker enter into negotiations with interested parties and put a bill out on the floor without the bill ever going through the regular committee process,” Deukmejian said. “So it isn’t always the case that the (Legislature) itself strictly adheres to its own rules and regulations.”

A prime example of this was the Legislature’s passage last year of a major tort “reform” bill that was negotiated by lawmakers and special interests without any public hearings.

Although he did not specifically mention the Brown-Nolan nonaggression pact, Deukmejian made it clear he believes that Republicans should place their ideological agenda above internal leadership concerns. Asked whether he believes that the GOP should keep voting with the five dissident Democrats against Brown and the Democratic leadership, Deukmejian answered: “Well, I don’t think they have any choice but to vote for either parliamentary motions or a specific bill where they strongly support the intent of those bills.”

Sees GOP Benefit

Anyway, he added, the GOP benefits whenever there is bitter dissension among Democratic legislators, as there now is because of the Gang of Five’s success.

“When you’re sitting where I am, and you’ve got a Democratic-controlled Legislature of both houses, any time you’ve got some division within Democratic ranks, you know, obviously that makes it a little more possible for us to succeed on some of our issues,” the governor said.

But Deukmejian insisted, “We’re not in any way coordinating with these five individuals. . . . Whatever decisions they are making, they’re doing it on their own. They’re not doing it with any urging from us.”

Asked whether he would like to see another Democrat replace Brown as Speaker--which seems to be the dissidents’ ultimate goal--Deukmejian paused for several seconds, then said: “I don’t get involved in those kinds of decisions or activities. I’d better not make any comment.”

Nolan Reluctant

Besides his longstanding agreement not to pick public fights with Brown on the Assembly floor, Nolan has been reluctant to join in any move to oust the veteran Speaker unless a Republican can be elected to take his place. But other Assembly Republicans are divided on the issue, with a hard core of about half a dozen pressing to overthrow the liberal Brown.

Although Nolan’s view still prevails, the outward appearance of Republican actions being influenced by rebel Democrats is disturbing to the minority leader because it challenges his power.

“It keeps the pot boiling in the Republican caucus because a great number of Nolan’s strongest supporters would like to oust Brown,” said one Republican Party official who asked to remain anonymous.

A Deukmejian adviser, speaking on condition he not be identified, said the governor’s message Wednesday was that “it’s more important to get the right bills passed than to be concerned about leadership.”