Californians May Get Key Posts Under Bush : Rumored Appointees Include Schabarum, Dornan and Lungren

WASHINGTON — Two days after the presidential election, Washington’s rumor mill was overflowing Thursday with the names of well-known Californians who have been seeking or might be offered prominent posts in George Bush’s Administration.

Although few decisions on jobs have been made by the Bush transition team, several California names are popping up with regularity, according to lobbyists, GOP insiders and congressional aides. They range from “sure bets,” such as Bush campaign aide Craig Fuller to be the President’s chief of staff or the top executive of another Administration office, to long shots, such as Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In between are a host of potential candidates, including Orange County Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez, Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum, outgoing Rep. Daniel E. Lungren (R-Long Beach), and former Orange County congressman Charles E. Wiggins, a longtime Bush ally and now a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

Informed speculation has also focused on several high-ranking bureaucrats, such as Charles Imbrecht, chairman of the California Energy Commission; Jack C. Parnell, the state director of food and agriculture, and Ed Hastey, who heads the California field office of the Bureau of Land Management.

Despite these rumors, knowledgeable sources suggested Thursday that there may be fewer Californians in positions of influence in the Bush Administration than during the Reagan years. Although Bush has strong GOP allies in California, his main political ties are elsewhere, such as Texas, they noted.

‘We’ll Get Our Share’

“California has ruled the roost for a long time when it comes to presidential jobs, but that may be ending,” one well-connected state lobbyist said. “We’ll get our share, but the fact is that the new President has friends in other parts of the country as well.”

The top name on virtually every California list is Fuller, who has been chief of Bush’s vice presidential staff and was named Wednesday to co-direct the presidential transition. The 37-year-old aide was born in Pasadena, educated at Occidental College and UCLA and has a background in public relations. Before serving the vice president, he was assistant for Cabinet affairs at the White House.

“I don’t think there is any more prominent Californian poised to serve in the Bush Administration than Craig,” said a source close to the transition. “He’s a strong bet to be the next chief of staff, especially in view of his appointment to run the transition effort.” However, other sources indicated that there are other serious candidates for the staff chief’s post and that Fuller could wind up with another high-level job.

Stumped Tirelessly for Bush

Another Californian mentioned frequently is Dornan, the combative Orange County congressman who was one of the first GOP conservatives to endorse Bush’s presidential candidacy. Dornan stumped tirelessly for Bush in several states and was a fixture at his side during California campaign appearances.

The outspoken congressman has not discouraged speculation about a job in the new Administration, and several aides close to the California GOP delegation have suggested that he might be interested in a post such as U.N. ambassador or a high-ranking slot in the State Department.

However, Bush may be reluctant to offer such a job to Dornan in view of the congressman’s strident style and strongly partisan views, one source close to the transition said. The new Administration is more likely to seek out “moderate, mainstream” appointees for high-visibility posts, despite its gratitude for Dornan’s support, the source said.

In its quest to appoint minority members, the new Administration may offer a post to Vasquez, 33, the newest member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the highest-ranking elected Republican Latino in California. Vasquez “would be a natural . . . he’s very qualified, very articulate,” said Tom Fuentes, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party.

Schabarum is another Southern California politician whose name has been mentioned, particularly as a candidate for secretary of transportation. The veteran supervisor is chairman of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and has indicated that he would be interested in the Cabinet post.

In the last election, he was co-chairman of Californians for Bush and served on the Republican National Finance Committee. On Thursday, Schabarum said that there has been “no discussion” about such a post but did not rule it out.

Although he recently moved back to Sacramento, Lungren has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the new post of government “drug czar” or director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Lungren is close to Fuller and has worked with Bush on immigration issues, according to former California Rep. John H. Rousselot, a Washington lobbyist.

Former Rep. Wiggins, President Nixon’s chief defender during the House Judiciary Committee’s Watergate impeachment inquiry, almost certainly would be high on Bush’s list of Supreme Court possibilities should a vacancy occur. Wiggins backed Bush over Reagan in the 1980 primaries and was supported by Bush for a judicial appointment.

Also believed to be under consideration is Donna Tuttle, the undersecretary of commerce and daughter-in-law of Los Angeles auto dealer Holmes Tuttle, an original member of President Reagan’s “kitchen cabinet.” Tuttle, whose husband is a member of the White House staff, will be considered as a candidate to head the Commerce Department, according to Rousselot.

Other California names reportedly being considered are Imbrecht for secretary of energy, Parnell for one of the three top slots in the Department of Agriculture and Hastey to head the federal Bureau of Land Management, according to several Washington insiders.

The Bush transition team may also be looking over the resume of Gerald L. Parsky, a partner in the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm in Los Angeles and an assistant Treasury secretary under former President Gerald R. Ford whose specialty is trade and energy issues. Parsky might be considered for any one of a number of positions.

Two prominent San Diego residents are considered possibilities for Administration appointments. They are Gordon Luce, chairman of Great American First Savings Bank and a longtime Reagan confidant, and Tom Stickel, owner of TCS Enterprises Inc., a diversified financial company. Both joined Bush’s campaign in its early stages and were active fund raisers.

Staff writers Paul Houston in Washington and Barry M. Horstman in San Diego contributed to this story.