California Reapportionment
Republicans do not rue support for Proposition 140 (term limits) for as a matter of fact their support was very lukewarm (“Why Republicans May Rue Their Heartfelt Support for Term Limits,” by Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Opinion, Dec. 8).
The great mistake was Assembly Speaker Willie Brown’s and the Democratic Party hierarchy. Willie Brown mistakenly invested over $2 million trying to defeat Proposition 140 instead of investing that money in the election of Dianne Feinstein.
If she were governor now, Democratic incumbents would not be crying about their redistricted areas. The election was close enough and the Feinstein campaign so badly out of money the last few weeks that the injection of $2 million or $3 million into her campaign would have made a difference. But wily Willie put more stock in his power than in the needs of the Democratic Party.
He lost, and the Democrats will lose California and perhaps the U.S. Congress.
HARRY WALD, Sherman Oaks
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
