Davis Wins Endorsement of Feinstein

Proving once again how weird alliances can be in politics, Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday formally endorsed for governor a man who once compared her to convicted felon Leona Helmsley--and whom her campaign manager then compared to a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

Feinstein’s political embrace of Democratic nominee Gray Davis came a few months after the two publicly buried the hatchet--not in each other’s backs, but in a closed-door meeting in Washington.

On stage with Davis and his wife, Sharon, at the Pasadena Democratic headquarters, Feinstein said Davis’ positions on education reform and gun control were more worthy of support than those of the Republican nominee, Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren.

“For 16 years, there has been a Republican governor in Sacramento,” Feinstein said to the cheers of scores of Democratic volunteers. “We now have the opportunity to have a strong and good Democratic governor.”

The endorsement came as Davis prepared for his last scheduled debate with Lungren, which will be held tonight in San Francisco.

The Democrat enters the final gubernatorial stretch running stronger than any nominee from his party in 24 years, with a comfortable lead in polls by his and other organizations. In that sense, the Feinstein endorsement was icing on the cake, but it was strongly desired because of its implications of unity on the part of two politicians who had been estranged not long ago.

The dispute began in the 1992 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Feinstein. Davis, running against her at the time, aired an inflammatory commercial comparing Feinstein to convicted New York hotelier Helmsley.

The ad outraged women and Jewish voters in particular--two important elements of the Democratic coalition--and earned Feinstein’s enmity. Her campaign manager, Kam Kuwata, said then that it was a “cheap, sleazy ad by a cheap, sleazy politician. . . . You kind of get the feeling he’s running for grand wizard of the KKK and not the United States Senate.”

At the time, Davis said he stood by the ad, but he has since characterized it as a mistake that he hopes will not tarnish his record. He has repeatedly apologized, most recently when he met with Feinstein in Washington.

The breach was not fully mended until after this year’s gubernatorial primary, during which Feinstein endorsed a Davis opponent, Rep. Jane Harman of Torrance. On Wednesday, Feinstein waved away any lingering controversy.

“What happened years ago, let’s forget about it,” she told reporters after her endorsement remarks. “I mean, it’s done.”

When she was asked if she was endorsing solely to put forth an image of party unity, Feinstein shook her head.

“I don’t have to do this. I could sit this race out,” she said. “I’ve chosen not to, so that ought to be the first indication. I really sincerely believe that on the issues . . . Gray Davis is the best candidate.”

Neither Feinstein nor Davis addressed the bad blood from the podium Wednesday, instead saving their ammunition for Republican Lungren.

Feinstein characterized Lungren as lacking on educational policy and as a threat when it comes to gun control, a particular interest of Feinstein’s in the Senate.

“With Gray Davis, I believe that you will have meaningful, common-sense regulations on the transfer, the movement and the possession of firearms in the state of California,” she declared. “That’s a big agenda because it will save lives.”

Davis, at her side, nodded his head and said, “Absolutely.”

Lungren has insisted that despite his opposition to some gun control laws, he has charted a middle course between the desires of the National Rifle Assn. and those who would outlaw guns entirely.

On the subject of education, Davis vowed that on his first day in office he would call a special session of the Legislature to advocate measures that would require children to read by age 9, would further teacher education in phonics and would hold schools accountable. He blasted Lungren’s education approach as one dependent on a “crazy scheme” that would give vouchers to students, which they could then use to fund their public or private education.

Lungren campaign spokesman Damian Jones, who attended the Davis event and handed out articles about the Helmsley ad, said that Lungren’s approach reached further than just vouchers.

“Dan Lungren’s never said that vouchers are the silver bullet for education,” he said. “But what he is planning to do is put control of schools in the hands of local people, parents who can make decisions for their children.”

Lungren was in Feinstein’s hometown of San Francisco on Wednesday, picking up the endorsement of one of the city’s crustiest characters--and getting perhaps a bit more than he bargained for.

State Sen. Quentin L. Kopp, the lone independent in the state Legislature, endorsed Lungren at a Chinatown news conference where he praised the candidate’s focus on substantive issues such as transportation and infrastructure.

Further, Kopp said, “I am convinced as a California legislator that equilibrium between a Democratic Party-controlled Legislature and a Republican executive branch works better for our state.”

Republicans concede long odds against winning control of the state Senate in November, but insist publicly that at least they have a reasonable shot at winning a majority in the Assembly.

Asked if he seconded Kopp’s checks-and-balance notion--in effect surrendering hopes of making gains in Sacramento--Lungren smiled and replied, “There are some areas where we disagree.”

Times political writer Mark Z. Barabak contributed to this story.