<i> Snapshots of life in the Golden State.</i> : Please Put Mr. Gore on the ‘Speaker’ Phone

Willie Brown’s rude awakening came at 6:30 a.m., three hours after Wily Willie gave the Republicans their own rude awakening: an acrimonious pre-dawn vote that scuttled GOP hopes and gave the speakership title back to Brown.

Vice President Al Gore was on the phone. He “couldn’t wait any longer” to congratulate Speaker-redux Brown, whose comeback was a solace for Democrats after the gales of November’s elections.

“You are a living hero,” Gore told Brown. “When are you coming to Washington so we can appropriately toast you?”

And Assembly Republicans had thought Brown was toast.

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Litter-ature: In an effort at tort reform, a Stockton firm recycles legal briefs into kitty litter. Paper from law firms, hospitals and such gets turned into cat scat pellets by Pacific Storage Co., which has won its second state award state for recycling.

Even banks send their paper detritus to Pacific Storage. This means, of course, that the check is in the . . . sandbox.

Wet and Wetter

January’s rains broke or nearly broke records all over the state. It was the third-wettest month of this century in Los Angles, where the average January rainfall is less than three inches. A year ago only 0.33 of an inch of January rain fell in the city’s official precipitation gauge. The eight wettest months in Los Angeles this century.

February, 1941: 12.42 inches

January, 1952: 10.03 inches

February, 1962: 11.57 inches

November, 1965: 9.68 inches

January, 1969: 14.94 inches

February, 1980: 12.75 inches

January, 1993: 11.77 inches

January, 1995: 12.56 inches

Sources: National Weather Service, L.A. Dept. of Water and Power.

Researched by NONA YATES/Los Angeles Times

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Pale, rested and ready: Pete Wilson, whose tan-defying complexion would never lead people to peg him as the governor of the other sunshine state, came back from his European holiday--his first in years--to launch his second term just as pale as he left. California-style rain dogged him on his trip.

This year, with the vacation and a stop in Washington, Wilson has been governor less than Democratic Lt. Gov. Gray Davis. Davis wrapped up his acting governor stint with a commendation to political reporters who conduct breakfast grilling sessions here with politicians.

Davis lauded the Friday Group for its work to “milk politicians for scoops,” giving officials the chance to “ham it up” and “butter” up reporters, to brag about their “juice,” even though reporters refuse to let them “waffle.”

It commends them for “eating politicians for breakfast,” and expresses “the sincere hope” that he would be “a solitary exception.”

Sorry, Lt. Gov. Hash. Puns like that can’t go unpunished.

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Pulling the woolsack over his eyes: Republican Assembly Leader Jim Brulte was telling reporters who in his party would be appointed to head committees.

Agriculture would be chaired by Brulte’s pal, Bakersfield’s Trice Harvey. What might Harvey do with that appointment, Brulte was asked.

Brulte, an imposing figure with a sly wit, kidded, “The man has a proclivity for sheep.”

Reminded that he was on the record, Brulte couldn’t resist adding, “And let me tell you, in his district, that helps.”

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If you chill it, they will . . . Candlestick Park, “the ‘Stick,” home of the 49ers and Giants, the last live public concert venue of the Beatles, will rent its name to a corporate sponsor who will spruce up the place before the 1999 Super Bowl. Wags have suggested “Candleslick Park” for Chevron, among others.

Given the freezing wind in the upper reaches of the stadium--the Giants used to give away pins to fans who toughed out night games--why not Popsicle Stick Park?

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Profiles in discourage: State Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco), a legislator since before the Tet offensive, railed at Gov. Wilson for raising college tuition, recalling how his mother-in-law paid a few dollars to go to a public university in 1903.

Democrats estimated that higher education spending will drop from 12% to 1% of the budget in six years, and prison spending will double to 18%. Sen. Leroy F. Greene (D-Carmichael), who voted for the “three strikes” measure, was asked how he proposed to pay for it.

“I don’t want to fund ‘three strikes.’ ‘Three strikes’ is the damnedest turkey that ever came down the pike, and unfortunately that’s what my people wanted, and they were wrong. But hey, there they were. So I voted how they wanted me to.”

EXIT LINE

“So, I love this game. I am so pleased that we are all so dedicated to mankind--unlike show business where there you have egomaniacs and you have power-mongers and you have elitists.”

--Boffo U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono (R-Palm Springs), leaving his fellow legislators laughing as the closing act at the Washington Press Club Foundation dinner.

California Dateline appears every other Friday.