Wilson Calls Speaker Obstructionist : Politics: Governor lashes out at Brown for blocking legislative proposals.

In an unusually strong attack on a legislative leader, Gov. Pete Wilson devoted virtually an entire speech Thursday to denouncing Assembly Speaker Willie Brown as an obstructionist and political gamesman responsible for blocking a wide array of reform legislation.

The Republican governor indicated he believed that the Democratic Speaker might be taking out some revenge on him for, among other things, steering legislative and congressional redistricting into the state Supreme Court, where justices enacted plans favorable to the GOP. Wilson implied that Brown wants to deny him any political victories.

“That is worse than spiteful,” the governor told the Sacramento Press Club. “That is a public disservice that betrays the public trust.”

Later, Brown declined to be drawn into a debate with Wilson. “Sounds like the governor had a bad night,” responded the Speaker’s press secretary, Jim Lewis.

In his speech, Wilson called on Assembly Democrats to sometimes ignore Brown’s leadership, but stopped short of urging that he be overthrown.

“What I will say to Democrats in the Assembly is that they can no longer simply follow the lead of the Speaker when, in fact, his lead destroys opportunity for the people of the state,” the governor said. “It’s high time that they understood that it is one thing to elect a Speaker and another thing to allow him to lead them astray. . . . They have to be held accountable.”

Wilson seemed to be setting up Brown and Assembly Democrats to use as frequent targets in two high-priority fall election efforts: his sponsorship of a sweeping ballot initiative that would both cut back on welfare and give the governor more power over the Legislature in the budgeting process, and his drive to help elect enough Republicans to take over control of the Assembly.

“As long as the Democrats are the majority in the Assembly, Willie Brown will be the Speaker of the Assembly,” Wilson lamented repeatedly. “As long as the Democrats have those majority numbers, they will kill whatever legislation the Speaker asks them to kill.”

Democrats outnumber Republicans 47-33 in the Assembly. Wilson’s strategists believe they have a reasonable opportunity with the new redistricting, however, to attain a majority.

Wilson indicated he was especially incensed at Brown for playing a pivotal role in the Assembly’s recent blocking of two forest protection bills backed by the governor and a coalition of timber companies and environmental organizations. “Obstructionism has put California’s ancient forests at risk,” Wilson asserted.

Brown is siding with the Sierra Club, a key opponent of the legislation, in trying to develop a new compromise.

The governor also ticked off a list of other failed legislative proposals whose fates he blamed on Brown, either directly or indirectly: creation of a new Office of Child Development and Education, overhaul of the costly workers compensation system, increased penalties for violent crimes, no-fault automobile insurance and school reform.

While it is not unusual for a governor of one party to sharply criticize a legislative leader of another party, it is uncommon to devote as much time and as many words to such an attack as Wilson did on Thursday.

The assault has been building, and not just because of blocked legislation. Although Brown last year played a vital role in helping Wilson pass his budget package of tax increases over Republican objections, this year the Speaker has let it be known that he will be opposing the governor at virtually every step. Recently, for example, he compared Wilson’s position on welfare to that of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke’s.

The governor cited reports that Democrats are upset with Brown for “an inept performance” last year on redistricting. “Willie Brown apparently has decided that if he’s going to have a lousy year, California is going to have a lousy year too,” Wilson said.

He accused Brown of “holding hostage” various legislative proposals and using them as “bargaining chips.” But in answer to a question, the governor said he couldn’t figure out the Speaker’s agenda and what he wanted to bargain for.

On another issue, Wilson declined to take a position on Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s new proposal for universal health care financed by payroll taxes on employers and their workers. But he said he was wary of any program that might drive business out of the state and noted that President Bush and others have proposed national solutions to the problem.

“It might just pay California to not rush to judgment and see whether or not what we are doing really fits with a national scheme of addressing health care access,” Wilson said.

Garamendi, meanwhile, was a few blocks away pitching his program to business leaders at a California Chamber of Commerce luncheon. He said the current health insurance system feeds “a lot of pigs at the trough” but does not serve the sick, who need it most.

Kirk West, president of the chamber, said he and other business leaders feared the 6.5% payroll tax Garamendi envisions would rise as health costs continued to climb. But he said it was possible that some business leaders might support such a plan.

Times staff writer Daniel M. Weintraub contributed to this story.