Wilson’s a Party Animal in Visit to Costa Mesa

Trying to shore up his support in heavily Republican Orange County, Gov. Pete Wilson attended a reception Saturday with hundreds of local party volunteers and was advised by key supporters during a private meeting not to ignore Orange County and its strong conservative vote.

Sometimes caught in the cross-fire between moderate and conservative Republicans, Wilson, a moderate, has seen his popularity rating plummet to 15% in statewide voter opinion polls.

But as Wilson reached out to supporters Saturday, local Republican leaders found hope for party renewal, largely because of the Republicans’ united opposition to the just-approved federal budget pushed through Congress by President Clinton.

“We have seen a tax bill that will serve to the detriment of the economy of California and Wilson will be the guy that brings us back,” Orange County Republican leader Buck Johns said after the private meeting with Wilson.

Orange County has traditionally been counted on by Republicans to vote with high enough margins in statewide races to offset Democratic voters in San Francisco and West Los Angeles. But during last year’s presidential campaign, even local Republicans were not spared some of the intraparty fighting between moderates and conservatives.

As Wilson looks toward a reelection contest in 1994, the amount of money in his campaign war chest trails the sums of two Democrats who are considering the race--state Treasurer Kathleen Brown and Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi.

“I think the polls are showing we have to get the campaign started now,” Johns said.

Local Republican Party Chairman Tom Fuentes said Wilson will not forget Orange County’s importance, and added: “I think there’s a tremendous unity brewing in the (Republican) Party right now. Certainly, (Friday night’s budget) vote in the U.S. Senate unified us.”

Congressman Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) said the budget “will focus people again on the issue of why we need to cut wasteful government spending,” which has long been a Republican Party theme.

Ironically, in his speech to supporters, Wilson did not mention the Clinton budget which was approved in the House and Senate by the narrowest of margins and is designed to cut the federal deficit by $496 billion during the next five years through spending cuts and tax increases.

Before, the governor called the plan “devastating,” claiming it would cost California the same number of jobs that the Clinton Administration believes will be created during the next four years.