Feeling Heat, Wilson Goes Back to Senate

Sen. Pete Wilson, smarting from criticism over his absence from the U.S. Senate, broke off his California quest for governor Monday and flew to Washington for crucial end-of-session votes, removing himself from the campaign trail and forcing postponement of Thursday’s debate with Democrat Dianne Feinstein.

The San Francisco debate, the second of two agreed to by the candidates, tentatively was reset for Oct. 25. Wilson was expected to be in Washington at least through Friday.

Feinstein has hammered Wilson for more than a week, maintaining that he should be in Washington protecting California’s interests as a budget bill and other major pieces of legislation are crafted. The attacks clearly hit their mark, particularly after it was disclosed that Wilson missed a pivotal vote on an abortion amendment last Friday.

But Feinstein, who earlier vowed to suspend her campaign if the second-term senator returned to Washington, refused to do so Monday.

When asked if she was adhering to the pledge, made at their first debate, Feinstein snapped, “No, I am not.” She was not reneging, she emphasized, insisting that her pledge applied only to an earlier round of budget votes. And she said she was “outraged” by the fact that Wilson was not present in the Senate on Friday to break a 48-48 tie on a vote to kill an amendment that would require parental consent before young women could get abortions in some cases.

During a press conference at the Southridge Middle School in Fontana, Feinstein said: “He did not go back and vote on the deficit-reduction bill. He did not go back the first time that was up. So all bets are off.”

After their first debate Oct. 7, Feinstein told reporters she would suspend campaigning if Wilson had to go East. “For the remainder of the campaign?” she was asked. “Oh, not for the remainder of the campaign,” she replied. “This vote’s coming up tomorrow.”

As recently as last Wednesday, however, Feinstein said she would suspend all campaign activities, even fund raisers, “if that’s really what it takes to get a United States senator to do his duty.”

On Monday, she added: “I think that when Pete Wilson fulfills his duties in the United States Senate, as he was elected to do, then we can talk some more about it. . . . I’m going to continue to work just as hard as I possibly can to press my candidacy to the people of the state of California.”

As he prepared to board American Airlines Flight 36 at Los Angeles International Airport, Wilson’s office issued a statement in which the senator said: “I feel it’s both my job as California’s senator and as a candidate for governor to go back and cast some tough votes, because the economy of our nation and our state could depend on what Congress works out with the President.”

Wilson’s aides took pains to portray his return to Washington as an assertion of his senatorial role rather than a reaction to pressure from Feinstein.

“Sen. Wilson has said since the August recess that he would go back when the key budget votes would come up and this is the time,” said Otto Bos, his campaign director. “Whether or not Feinstein has made noise on it, it has to do with the votes. The time is now at hand.”

Bos accused Feinstein of duplicity, saying she reneged on the promise to suspend her campaign. Wilson earlier had scoffed at Feinstein’s offer, claiming it was meaningless because most of her campaign consisted of fund-raising events and not public appearances.

“She has reneged on the promise and we feel that it’s sort of like the crib notes on her hand,” Bos said, referring to words Feinstein had inked on one hand during the debate.

Wilson gave up a heavy, GOP star-studded fund-raising schedule in California to make the Washington trip, his first since Congress’ Labor Day recess. It includes events today and Friday with former President Ronald Reagan and appearances with Vice President Dan Quayle on Thursday and Friday and with White House Chief of Staff John Sununu over the weekend.

The Reagan events and Quayle’s appearances will continue as scheduled, Wilson’s aides said. Sununu’s schedule was not known.

Wilson and Feinstein agreed to postpone Thursday’s debate by one week, although both made clear the Oct. 25 date could be jeopardized by an extension of the budget debate or other unforeseen events.

For most of the campaign, Wilson had adeptly used his service in the Senate to his advantage, running almost as an incumbent. Nearly everywhere he went, he could tell his listeners of some action he took in the Senate that benefited them. As late as Labor Day, no one expected the congressional session to drag so far into the election season.

Even when Congress was forced to adopt an emergency spending resolution a week ago, Wilson claimed that his being away from Washington made no difference. Most of the votes being taken were routine, he said. And he added there was no need for him to be present to vote “no” because being absent from the Senate chamber had the same effect.

He promised, however, to return when a decisive budget vote was due or in the event another major issue surfaced.

Feinstein stepped up her attacks on Wilson being “missing from action” when critical national decisions were being made. She cited the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice David Souter, the sending of American troops to Saudi Arabia, the budget deficit and the weakening economy.

Friday was a turning point. Wilson missed a vote on an unexpected amendment by Sen. William Armstrong (R-Colo.) that would bar hospitals, doctors and other health care providers from receiving federal funds unless they give 48 hours’ notice to parents of minors seeking abortions.

Wilson opposed the amendment because it made no exceptions for rape or incest and did not provide for the courts to grant exemptions. A motion to table the abortion amendment, and thus kill it, failed on a 48-48 tie.

Presumably, if Wilson had been present and voting “aye,” the amendment would have died. Ultimately, the amendment was placed in an appropriations bill on a voice vote and could become part of federal law if it survives conference committee negotiations.

Both Wilson and Feinstein are strong supporters of a woman’s choice on abortion. But Feinstein frequently tells her audiences that, as governor, she would be more reliable than Wilson in standing by that position.

Monday she said: “Frankly what happened last Friday was outrageous. He could have been there. His vote would have made a difference. Today, based on what is probable to happen, I think it puts women in great jeopardy on the choice issue.”

Times Sacramento Bureau Chief George Skelton contributed to this article.