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THE ASSEMBLY’S NEW SPEAKER : Conservatives Vow Allen Recall Effort : Republicans: She is labeled a traitor by one GOP leader but grounds for party punishment are unclear. The governor’s office issues a cautious statement.

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TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Infuriated by her deal-making with Assembly Democrats, conservative Republicans in Orange County vowed Monday to mount a campaign to recall Doris Allen of Cypress from her 67th Assembly District seat and dump her from the Assembly speakership.

“She is a traitor in the true sense of the word,” said Jon Fleischman, the president of the conservative California Republican Assembly.

A resident of Irvine and an aide to state Sen. John Lewis (R-Orange), Fleischman said a recall effort aimed at Allen will be launched immediately. “The bottom line is that Doris Allen has aligned herself with every Democrat against every Republican. She is a disgrace to our party.”

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There was no immediate move, however, by state and county GOP leaders to mete out official party punishment.

State party Chairman John Herrington said the Allen situation differs from the recent recall of former GOP Assemblyman Paul Horcher of Diamond Bar because Allen remains a Republican. Horcher quit the GOP and became an independent last January, and then cast his vote to reelect Democrat Willie Brown of San Francisco as Speaker.

Herrington said it is not clear whether state party bylaws would allow the official party structure to participate in a recall or other form of punishment of Allen for agreeing to be elected Speaker on the votes of all 39 Democrats in the Assembly, plus her own.

Herrington also said he wanted to consult with Assembly Republican leaders before making any official move against Allen.

The state chairman did say, “I have had a lot of calls from Republicans that are pretty angry,” adding that he would not be surprised to see a recall attempt.

Orange County GOP Chairman Thomas A. Fuentes said reaction of loyal Republicans to Allen’s election as Speaker, succeeding Brown, was mixed because the GOP has “worked so long and so hard” to depose Brown.

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Fuentes added: “There is a lot of heat at the moment surrounding this vote today. . . . There is a lot of anger in the way it has come down. I would like a little calm to come to the waters in assessing what the party will do.”

One GOP source who declined to be quoted by name said a petition was being drafted Monday afternoon. This source guessed that the required 25,000 signatures could be collected in a month or so. Once the recall petition was validated, Gov. Pete Wilson would be required to set a recall election in 60 to 80 days.

If the campaign proceeded at the rate the Orange County source predicted, the recall election could be held in September.

In Sacramento, the governor’s office had only limited comment, saying that it was important for Allen, as the new Speaker, to “implement the agenda that the people of California voted for in November.”

A Wilson spokesman had no comment on whether Wilson might support any recall or official party punishment.

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