Davis Endorses Gore, Says He’s Right for California

Describing him as a political twin brother “tailor-made for California,” Gov. Gray Davis said Thursday that he will endorse Vice President Al Gore as the Democratic nominee for president.

Support from Davis, who won his office by a landslide last fall, could provide an important boost to the Gore campaign in the country’s most populous state. Practically the entire California Democratic establishment now backs Gore, including both U.S. senators and 17 members of the state Democratic congressional delegation, most of whom formally announced their support this week.

One of the few mavericks in the Democratic political pack, California Senate leader and prominent San Francisco politician John Burton, said he was “toying with the idea of supporting Warren Beatty if he runs.” Burton later suffered a mild heart attack and on Thursday remained hospitalized in Sacramento.

Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the state’s most prominent Latino politicians, back Gore, which could help the vice president in a race against George W. Bush, who has enjoyed strong Latino support as governor of Texas.

In an interview Thursday, Davis stressed the same points he used to engineer his own come-from-behind victory in the governor’s race last year.

“Al Gore is tailor-made for California,” said Davis, who will make his formal endorsement in an appearance with Gore in Santa Monica today. “He’s right on gun control, the environment, choice [women’s right to choose on abortion] and economic development.”

Gore, the governor said, is made of the same stuff and has similar views on the issues as . . . Gray Davis--right down to their stiff and uncharismatic cores. “We have very few differences. We both served in Vietnam. We are both longtime public servants. Neither of us wins elections on charisma alone,” Davis deadpanned.

Davis also took an indirect swipe at Gore’s main Democratic challenger, former U.S. senator and NBA star Bill Bradley.

“Americans have this fascination with new faces,” Davis said, “They will flirt with interesting personalities. But in the end they want a steady hand on the helm. . . . We know what we have with Al Gore. He’s tested and he’s dependable.”

To supporters of rival Democratic and Republican candidates, Davis’ endorsement was a given.

“Sen. Bradley has a lot of respect for Gov. Davis,” said Gale Kaufman, senior California advisor to the Bradley campaign, “but the endorsement itself is not a surprise and was expected.”

Said political consultant Dan Schnur: “Of course it is better to have an endorsement than to not have one, but in a state like California it really doesn’t bring that much. The Davis operation is by and large a fund-raising organization.

“Normally you would tap into those people, but they already know Al Gore, and they either like him or they don’t like him,” said Schnur, who works for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. “There is nothing that Gray Davis is going to tell them that will make any difference.”

Davis said he told Gore in February that he would endorse him but asked the vice president to delay the announcement until after the legislative session, which ended last week.

Davis aides portrayed the endorsement as critical in “Democratic trending” California, one of only three states, along with Hawaii and Maryland, to have a governor, both U.S. senators and both houses of the Legislature in Democratic hands.

“It is critically important for Gore to do well here,” said a senior Davis advisor.

After appearing together at Santa Monica High School today, in an event that will stress issues of education and school safety, Gore and Davis will make joint appearances later in the day in Fresno and San Francisco.

Appearing on his own in San Diego on Thursday, Gore picked apart the education proposals put forth by his Republican opponent Bush. In particular, Gore criticized Bush’s plan to offer parents money to transfer their children from ailing public schools to private schools.

“In many neighborhoods public schools would be decimated,” Gore said. “You cannot strengthen learning by weakening public education.”

Without referring to Bush by name, Gore called “a Republican leader’s” proposed $1,500 vouchers “a tiny down payment toward private school tuition--not nearly enough to pay, even if places were available in private schools.”

Bush has proposed that schools receiving federal subsidies to educate poor students meet certain standards or lose those subsidies to parents, who could then spend them at schools of their choice.

Gore mostly used his 45-minute speech at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s annual convention to call for smaller classes, upgraded school facilities and Internet access for all children. His remarks earned enthusiastic applause at several points and a standing ovation at their conclusion.

On Wednesday, California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and 17 of the state’s 27 Democratic House members joined in endorsing Gore’s bid for president.

“No other candidate for president has been as understanding and supportive of minority communities in California as Al Gore,” said Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk). “No other administration has been as responsive to the needs of California as a whole.”

Added Rep. Robert T. Matsui (D-Sacramento): “From high tech to international trade to environmental responsibility, Al Gore understands what California needs.”

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Times staff writers Lee Romney and Richard Simon contributed to this report.