GOP Convention Turns Into Love Fest : Brown, Other Democrats Meet for Rally on Long-Hostile Turf : Politics: Gubernatorial nominee, other candidates and party officials gather to build support for statewide ticket in heart of Republican country.

State Democratic Party officials ventured into politically alien Orange County Saturday to rally support for a statewide ticket whose gubernatorial nominee attacked Gov. Pete Wilson as “passive, aloof, arrogant and out of touch.”

“Pete Wilson is a governor who follows the polls,” state Treasurer Kathleen Brown told a sun-baked gathering of fellow candidates and the party’s executive committee. “He stands for reelection and nothing else.”

Brown, who urged supporters to “get in Pete Wilson’s face” with their concerns about the economy and crime, said her return appearances in Orange County should be taken as signs that Democrats are beginning to chip away at the Republican stronghold.

“Do you know that the Orange County Board of Supervisors said it was ‘gutsy’ of me to come to Orange County?” said Brown, referring to a recent visit to the county. “Well, California needs a gutsy governor.”

The treasurer made reference to a recent UC Irvine poll showing that Wilson had failed to increase his popularity in Orange County since the June primary.

However, Republican officials, who gathered in San Diego Saturday, predicted that Wilson would have more than enough support in Orange County to help him to victory statewide.

State GOP Chairman Tirso del Junco said the Democrats’ rally in Orange County was “another smoke screen” by his Democratic counterpart, Bill Press.

In her address to the party faithful, Brown spent some time bashing Wilson for his support of Proposition 187, which would deny public services such as education and non-emergency health care to illegal immigrants.

Brown said Wilson’s position harks back to the 1940s when Japanese Americans were identified and placed in detention camps.

“It’s happened before and Pete Wilson wants it to happen again,” Brown said. “The people of California are sick and tired and aren’t going to take it any more.”

Local Democratic candidates vying for a range of statewide offices joined Brown on a patio stage at the Anaheim Hilton & Towers Hotel. Among the most enthusiastic receptions was the one for Mike Farber, who is trying to unseat Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) in Orange County’s 46th Congressional District.

Describing himself as the “dragon slayer,” Farber talked of the congressional race as a chance to claim “my district.”

“We can make a difference,” Farber said. “We will succeed.”

While Farber spoke, supporters distributed copies of a recently published book, a compilation of Dornan’s most controversial statements.

Outgoing Anaheim City Councilman Irv Pickler, vying for the 68th Assembly District seat held by Republican Curt Pringle, said the political climate is undergoing a significant change in Orange County.

“There used to be a time when people were afraid to admit that they were Democrats in Orange County,” Pickler said. “Not anymore.”