Brown Resumes His Sharp Criticism of Clinton

Just two days after taking a conciliatory stance toward Bill Clinton, Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. again began hurling criticism Monday at his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying “rising skepticism” among voters will prevent the Arkansas governor from becoming the party’s standard-bearer.

Speaking here before 250 cheering union members, the former California governor attacked Clinton as anti-labor and pledged to continue campaigning and to capture the nomination himself.

“We have a candidate from a right-to-work state, with an environmental disaster as a record . . . (and who) has one little story after another that doesn’t add up,” Brown told the union members.

Brown’s comments belied theories over the weekend that the harsh part of the Democratic campaign was over. On Saturday, in comments at the California Democratic Convention in Los Angeles, Brown avoided his usually fiery criticism of Clinton and promised unconditional backing for the party’s nominee.

Also on Saturday, Brown spoke with national party Chairman Ronald H. Brown, who said afterward that he believed Jerry Brown would avoid further personal attacks on Clinton.

On Monday, however, Jerry Brown called on the party chairman to stop criticizing him for continuing to run against Clinton.

“Here’s my challenge, Mr. Chairman: Cancel the elections in Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. And, if you don’t have the guts to do that, allow the debate to go forward vigorously,” he said.

Jerry Brown also toured an AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital and spoke at a noon rally downtown after returning to his San Francisco home over the weekend for the first time since launching his presidential drive several months ago.

Brown said if he does not win the nomination, he will give “conditional” backing to whoever does. He said he must be convinced that the nominee can restore the party’s “solidarity with the environmental movement, the trade-union movement and the Rainbow Coalition”--the latter a reference to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s efforts to build a coalition of all races.

At the downtown San Francisco rally, several Brown supporters wearing black hoods protested against ABC News, which last week reported charges by four unidentified former California State Police officers that Brown, while governor, had hosted parties where marijuana and cocaine were used.

The parties, ABC said, took place at Brown’s former Los Angeles home in Laurel Canyon. Only two of the accusers appeared on camera; both men’s faces were obscured, and one had his voice electronically altered.

Brown and his associates have vehemently denied the charges.