GOP Hopefuls’ Last Debate Gets Testy

California’s three leading Republican gubernatorial hopefuls tangled Wednesday night over abortion, Enron and whether spouses are fair political game in a testy debate that sent their campaign hurtling toward a bruising finish.

The disagreements began with the candidates’ opening statements and scarcely let up for the next 58 minutes.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan responded angrily when Secretary of State Bill Jones criticized his wife, Nancy Daly Riordan, for giving money to Democrats. “Pathetic,” Riordan said.

Jones, in turn, repeatedly questioned Riordan’s character. “We just can’t trust you,” Jones said at one point. Businessman Bill Simon Jr., who generally has avoided criticizing Riordan, a longtime friend, seconded the notion, accusing the former mayor of repeated inconsistencies in his campaign statements.

The debate, held in a music recital hall on the campus of Cal State Long Beach, took place 20 days before the March 5 primary and marked the last time the three men will meet face-to-face. In recent weeks, the campaign has seen Riordan come under increasing challenge from his competitors while at the same time battling a barrage of televised advertisements paid for by the incumbent, Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Davis in November.

Riordan, who is leading in money raised and in most polls, again bore the brunt of the attacks. But unlike the candidates’ first two encounters--the last one just days ago at the state GOP convention--the debate Wednesday night saw all three candidates challenging one another.

Simon, who is making his first run for public office, set the tone in his opening remarks when he dismissed Riordan and Jones as a pair of “professional politicians” who “look first to government for solutions.”

The millionaire financier cited his own background in business, philanthropy and a five-year stint as a federal prosecutor to suggest he would bring fresh leadership to Sacramento.

Jones responded dismissively, calling the 50-year-old Simon--who is just two years younger--”a nice young fellow” who has never worked in government and also failed to vote in several of the state’s elections since moving to California a decade ago.

He was even harsher toward Riordan, calling him “just another big-city liberal mayor” and renewing his attack on Riordan for giving substantial sums to many of California’s most prominent--and liberal--Democrats. That was a precursor of the evening, which featured Jones again and again lighting into Riordan.

When his turn came, Riordan brushed off the attacks and, as he did throughout the night, sought to turn the focus to the incumbent Democrat each hopes to beat in November.

“Gray, you’re a disgrace,” Riordan said, peering straight into the TV camera. “You get at your office about 11 every day. You dial for dollars all day long. You’ve raised over $1 million a month since you became governor.”

Accusing Davis of signing laws to support his political benefactors, Riordan said, “Let’s put California first. Let’s pledge that we will not sign any legislation at any time that we are raising campaign funds.”

The discussion turned personal when Jones was asked by one of the media panelists, Dave Bryan of KCAL-TV, about a verbal attack he made this week on Riordan’s wife for contributing $3,000 to Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a Democrat.

“Is it just a contribution,” Jones asked, or is it a sign of philosophical compatibility that extends to both Riordans?

Simon agreed that the spousal support was “certainly fair game” to discuss in the campaign.

Riordan sharply disagreed. Turning to face his opponent, he said, “Mr. Jones, what you said the other day was pathetic, and your explanation today was even more pathetic.”

He defended his wife as a wonderful woman and described her ties to a number of Republican luminaries--ignoring her long record of supporting Democratic candidates and causes.

The candidates also traded blunt charges over the collapse of Enron and the respective ties of Davis and Riordan.

Riordan called Davis “the Enron governor” for the $119,500 he collected from the company, and suggested Davis had traded favors for campaign cash.

Jones responded by citing the profits Los Angeles made selling surplus electricity during last year’s energy crunch and noted that the former head of the city’s Department of Water and Power, S. David Freeman, was a key architect of Davis’ energy policy. “If Gray Davis is considered to be--as you stated--the Enron governor,” Jones taunted, “maybe you were the Enron mayor.”

Some of the debate turned on issues that already have been debated in the campaign but that continue to animate the candidates, particularly as their differences sharpen in the closing weeks.

The candidates disagreed sharply over abortion, for instance, with Riordan renewing his assertion that the party had to strike anti-abortion language from its platform to send a more welcoming message to centrist Californians and women in particular.

“Pro-life or pro-choice, this is a shorthand way for women to say if somebody is not pro-choice, they are not pro-after-school care, they are not pro-day care for children, they are not pro-health care,” Riordan said. “There is no way that a Republican can win in this state unless they respect women who are pro-choice.”

Both Jones and Simon took umbrage at the remark--and at the implication that only a candidate who supports abortion rights can also support day care or other programs for children.

“We care,” Jones responded. “We’ve always cared.”

Jones, who opposes legal abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to protect a woman’s life, accused Riordan of raising abortion as “a wedge issue” to try to divide the Republican Party.

Simon also objected to Riordan’s statement.

“This is the first time I’ve heard that someone who’s pro-life can’t be pro-kids,” Simon said. “Actually, I think it’s the other way around.”

Simon, who also opposes legalized abortion, said he would uphold the existing laws and further stated he would shun any single-issue “litmus tests” as governor.

One of the more convoluted exchanges involved the question of whether Jones--the most pugnacious of the candidates--would pledge to support Riordan or Simon should one of them win the nomination. He never directly answered, finally saying he would “support the party,” as he has throughout his 30 years of involvement in the GOP.

Later, at a news conference, Jones said he would support the nominee.

Simon showed no such hesitation during the debate. He promised to show up March 6 for the party’s morning-after unity appearance. “The only question I asked was ... what’s for breakfast,” Simon said with a grin.

Riordan did them both one better. “I will pay for the breakfast!” he exclaimed, inviting them to his restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, the Original Pantry--”9th and Figueroa,” he added, to laughter from the audience.

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Staff writer Nicholas Riccardi contributed to this report..