Brown Agrees to 3 Debates With Rivals

State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, buoyed by her performance at the state Democratic Party convention over the weekend, agreed for the first time Monday to participate in three debates before the June 7 gubernatorial primary.

Brown, Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi and state Sen. Tom Hayden had already accepted an invitation to debate live on a Los Angeles radio station May 25. Both Garamendi and Hayden had been pressing Brown to participate in more debates.

Brown campaign officials said Monday that they are attempting to schedule televised debates in San Francisco and Sacramento.

“Coming off the convention and the launching of our new theme, it’s appropriate--now is the time,” said John Whitehurst, Brown’s campaign spokesman and one of several new staffers announced over the weekend. “We want to let her shine against the two men.”

Garamendi and Hayden had both called for a debate during the convention, but state party Chairman Bill Press said the idea was inconsistent with the weekend’s chosen theme: unity.

“We look forward to debating,” said Darry Sragow, Garamendi’s campaign manager, who offered a theory about why, after months of declining debate offers, Brown’s campaign suddenly reversed itself. “This confirms that irrespective of all their bold statements, they have seen tracking polls and they know she’s in trouble. . . . They know they have to come out of hiding.”

Hayden called Brown’s announcement “clearly an attempt to defuse the issue of refusing to debate.” He remained wary, saying that just because Brown calls for a debate “doesn’t mean it’s going to happen and doesn’t mean it won’t be a cameo appearance played at some obscure hour.”

Dan Schnur, spokesman for Gov. Pete Wilson’s reelection campaign, said he looked forward to watching Brown, Garamendi and Hayden go at it.

“None of them know the first thing about creating jobs or fighting crime or cracking down on illegal immigration,” he said. “And after three debates, the whole world will know it.”

Also on Monday, Garamendi’s wife, Patti, received a letter of apology from California Teachers Assn. President Ralph J. Flynn, who said he regretted remarks made to her by CTA political director Alice Huffman on the first day of the Democratic convention.

In a speech at a luncheon that day, Huffman had repeatedly lashed out, threatening that if John Garamendi did not apologize to her, he would be “chopped liver, baby.” Huffman was angry about the candidate’s charges that she had acted inappropriately when she helped Brown prepare for a CTA forum in January.

Flynn’s letter stressed that Huffman had spoken without the consent of the CTA.

“Any differences CTA may have with Commissioner Garamendi will be addressed directly to him and not through you or any other member of your family,” Flynn wrote. “As it may appear to the public, and to you, that CTA . . . was attempting to convey a message through you, or to personally embarrass you, I deeply apologize.”