Allen Snubbed by Wilson at Ceremony

Republican Party anger at Assemblywoman Doris Allen invaded the Orange County bankruptcy bill-signing ceremony Monday when Gov. Pete Wilson snubbed the GOP legislator by refusing to invite her to the event.

The embattled Allen--whose name was on one of the three financial relief measures--showed up anyway, then walked out when Wilson failed to ask her to speak or join other officials at the podium.

Wilson and Allen have feuded bitterly ever since the Cypress Republican became Assembly Speaker in early June, taking the leadership of the lower house with the support of all its Democratic members and no Republicans other than herself. Allen faces a recall election Nov. 28.

“This is typical [of Wilson]--very petty,” Allen said as she left the outdoor gathering, which was still going on at the Santa Ana Civic Center. “They want to hurt me because I led the fight” to help Orange County.

Wilson, who ignored Allen throughout the ceremony, told a post-event news conference that Allen had been irrelevant to negotiations on the bankruptcy bailout and had even been “an obstacle” to the measures winning approval in the Legislature.

“I have to be honest, she . . . tried to horn in at the last moment to seize some credit,” he said.

The recall drive in Allen’s northwest Orange County district is led by Republicans who consider her a traitor to the GOP. Allen resigned the Assembly’s top post last month, saying she wanted to devote her energy to defeating the recall.

The decision by the governor to cut Allen out of the event came despite a request to include her from Sen. William A. Craven (R-Oceanside), author of another relief bill. Craven, who was approached by one of Allen’s staff before he spoke at the ceremony, asked a Wilson aide “to do something” about involving her, Craven said.