CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / GOVERNOR : Bush Raises $700,000 for Wilson, Gives Huffington Praise

George Bush, who mostly shunned California while losing the presidency in 1992, came to Santa Monica on Monday to raise $700,000 for Republican Gov. Pete Wilson’s campaign with an eight-minute luncheon address that contained almost as much praise for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Huffington, a longtime Texas friend.

Huffington, who has been criticized as a virtual carpetbagger from Texas by his critics--including some Republicans--was described by the former President as “a good friend, a man who’s fighting a superb battle for the Senate.”

“I am delighted that Mike Huffington is here, a man I’ve known for a long, long time,” said Bush, an adopted Texan. “I strongly urge you to support Mike Huffington. He’s a good man and he’ll do well in the Senate.”

Bush did not mention, even indirectly, Wilson’s Democratic reelection opponent, state Treasurer Kathleen Brown. In San Francisco last Thursday, First Lady Hillary Clinton blistered Wilson in an address on Brown’s behalf.

Monday marked Bush’s first political appearance in California since the 1992 election, in which he became the first Republican presidential candidate to fail to carry the state since Barry Goldwater in 1964. Clinton won California’s critical 54 electoral votes by a margin of 1.5 million votes.

Tensions between Bush’s campaign and the Wilson Administration in Sacramento ran high during the 1992 campaign. Wilson aides felt that Bush waited far too long to establish a campaign structure in California. When polls gave Clinton a strong lead in the state, the Bush effort went virtually dead in the water.

Bush’s visit Monday kicked off a gold-edged political week for both Wilson and Brown. On Sunday, President Clinton will come to Los Angeles to speak to a $1,000-a-plate dinner expected to gross $1.5 million for Brown.

Brown raised about $500,000 from the Hillary Clinton lunch last week, Brown aides said.

Bush by no means ignored Wilson. Standing at the podium at the Museum of Flying at the Santa Monica Airport, he said it is impressive “to feel this surge for the Wilson campaign. It’s just wonderful.” He praised Wilson for “an incredible record” on issues such as illegal immigration, welfare reform, crime control and education.

“In Pete, you have a fighter,” added Bush, standing in front of a massive American flag.

He also acknowledged that he has a great interest in gubernatorial races in two other states, Florida and Texas. Bush’s son Jeb is running for governor of Florida and in Texas, son George W. Bush is challenging the reelection bid of Democrat Anne Richards, who is something of a mentor to Kathleen Brown.

Wilson extolled Bush as “a world-class leader” whose word is respected throughout the world.

“How nice it would be to have a President like that again,” he said.

Wilson had a retort for Hillary Clinton, who mocked Wilson on Thursday for writing so often to the White House, whining about problems and seeking federal money.

“I want the Clintons to know,” Wilson said. “I’ll stop writing about the problems Washington is causing for California, if they’ll start doing something about them.”

He chided Brown for her pitch to middle-class Californians and said that some of those who have joined her in that appeal “are about as middle-class as Imelda Marcos.”

Wilson came to Santa Monica after conducting an official gubernatorial function that fits neatly into the keystone of his reelection campaign, being tough on crime and violent criminals. He signed into law three bills passed by the Legislature that crack down on inmate rights.

The campaign-style signing was staged in front of the outdoor weight-training area at the California Institution for Men, a sprawling medium-maximum security prison near Chino. The more than 100 onlookers, seated on folding chairs, included legislative sponsors and a score of crime victims, among them Patty Tate, sister of actress Sharon Tate, slain by the Manson family 20 years ago.

Goals of the bills are to roll back “the perks and the privileges and the profits of crime,” Wilson said.

Guaranteed access to weight training has become a symbol of the “coddling” of inmates, Wilson said. One bill allows prison officials to deny such access to dangerous or unruly inmates.

“Dangerous thugs don’t deserve to pump iron in prison as if it were the local health club,” Wilson said.