Brulte Says He Urged Brown to End Battle

Assembly Republican leader Jim Brulte, tied with Democrat Willie Brown for the speakership of the lower house, said Friday that he urged Brown to give up his tenacious fight to recapture the post.

Seemingly confident of victory, Brulte said he warned Brown that Democratic insistence on ousting veteran Republican Richard Mountjoy of Arcadia in order to break the stalemate and restore the speakership to Brown was a “corrupt abuse of power.”

In the short run, Brulte said, the threatened expulsion of Mountjoy is “impeding our ability to reach some kind of agreement.” In the longer term, he said, it “poisons the well” for establishing harmonious bipartisan relations when the fight finally ends.

In a telephone interview, the Rancho Cucamonga lawmaker declined to characterize Brown’s response during the unpublicized 90-minute, face-to-face meeting between the two Thursday in Los Angeles. Brulte said he asked for the conference.

Brulte said Brown did indicate that he believed none of the 40 Republicans in the Assembly would break ranks to vote for the Democrat. Until Dec. 5, Brown had held the Legislature’s most powerful position for an unprecedented 14 years.

Brown was not available for comment Friday.

In the Nov. 8 election, Republicans reversed their minority status in the Assembly and returned to Sacramento with a bare majority of 41 votes. But Brulte’s expected promotion to Speaker was torpedoed when Republican Paul Horcher of Diamond Bar left the party to become an independent and joined the 39 Democrats in voting for Brown, creating the deadlock.

Since then, Democratic attention has focused on Mountjoy, an outspoken conservative foe of Brown. Mountjoy was reelected to the Assembly in the November general election and also to a vacancy in the Senate in a special election. He has said that he intends to remain in the Assembly as long as it takes to replace Brown and that he will abandon his Senate seat if necessary.

Infuriated by Horcher’s vote for Brown and supported by Gov. Pete Wilson, Republicans have started a campaign to recall Horcher. The recall election likely would be held in March, at least two months after the start of the legislative session.

Brulte said he told Brown that “it’s clear there will be 41 Republican votes to elect a Speaker following the Horcher recall. Given that reality, it is probably better that we (choose a Speaker) in January and get on with the people’s business.”