ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY : County Marvels at ‘Shocking’ Move : Reaction: Observers on both sides of the Measure R debate say they are stunned by CEO William J. Popejoy’s bid to oust his rival, Supervisor Roger R. Stanton.

The audacious bid Thursday by county Chief Executive Officer William J. Popejoy to oust Supervisor Roger R. Stanton left elected officials and political activists stunned, with some praising the move and others criticizing it as politically motivated.

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“This is unprecedented in Orange County history,” said Gary L. Granville, the county’s veteran clerk-recorder. “I don’t know anything that even comes close to this. . . . It’s just so shocking.”

Dana Reed, a lawyer and longtime political observer, said, “This is absolutely the most remarkable thing I’ve ever heard. This has got to be a joke.”

Regardless of who they support in the Popejoy-Stanton showdown, people said they were struck by the boldness of the move and its timing just five days before voters decide the fate of Measure R, the sales-tax increase that Popejoy backs and Stanton opposes.

“It’s great drama. It’s almost Shakespearean,” said Connie Haddad, president of the Orange County League of Women Voters, adding that she was “flabbergasted.”

“This seems like a great, dramatic struggle for power,” Haddad added. “I can see a movie coming out on this. It could be like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. But it would be Mr. Popejoy.”

Popejoy on Thursday asked the Orange County Grand Jury to investigate the supervisor for what he called Stanton’s “undermining” of the county’s lawsuit against Merrill Lynch & Co. The suit accuses the brokerage house of selling risky securities in violation of the law.

Last week, Stanton announced that the county could dig out of its financial crisis without Measure R if--among other things--it settled with Merrill Lynch for at least $500 million.

Popejoy blasted Stanton’s statement and said the settlement figure was well below the county’s expectations of $1.2 billion. He also accused Stanton of damaging negotiations with the Wall Street giant.

UC Irvine political science professor Mark Petracca likened Popejoy’s efforts to a routine election ploy designed to generate interest in the tax hike, which is trailing in the polls.

“I think it’s a contrived occasion to create another story about Measure R,” said Petracca, who is campaigning against the tax proposal.

Others said they found it hard to believe Popejoy’s rationale for seeking Stanton’s ouster, attributing the move less to the supervisor’s statements than to political rivalry.

“Roger might have misspoken [about the Merrill Lynch suit], but I think this all shows a little arrogance on the part of Mr. Popejoy,” said Garden Grove Mayor Bruce A. Broadwater. “I think this is absolutely silly. . . . Why don’t they just impeach all five [supervisors] and make Popejoy dictator?”

Carole Walters, president of the Orange Taxpayers Assn. and a Measure R opponent, said it was undemocratic for Popejoy to seek the removal of an elected official.

“The voters are supposed to decide these things,” she said. “He should be booted out. . . . We don’t need someone like him running the county.”

But other observers were more sympathetic to Popejoy, speculating that his actions could be designed to strengthen bankruptcy recovery efforts.

“I think he might feel like he was asked by these five [supervisors] to perform a mission to save this county and turn it around,” said Haddad. “Perhaps he felt undercut by some of the very people who assigned him to the job.”

Granville said Popejoy’s move is a vivid illustration of how power has shifted since the bankruptcy from the Board of Supervisors to its chief executive officer.

“It’s an indication of his strength,” Granville said. “He’s not a person who fires blanks.”