Davis, Simon Spar Over Abortion, Energy, Guns

Gov. Gray Davis and his Republican challenger, Bill Simon, engaged in early campaign jousting Wednesday, with Davis insisting that voters are keenly interested in Simon’s views on abortion and gun control, while Simon homed in on the governor’s handling of the energy crisis.

Davis also employed the power of incumbency, announcing that armed California Highway Patrol officers now are providing an added measure of security on intrastate commercial airline flights. California is the first state to use police on flights originating and ending within its borders.

“This is another signal to the traveling public in California that we are determined to do everything possible to keep them safe,” Davis said at one of two news conferences he held Wednesday.

The plainclothes officers will provide added security whenever their duties require them to travel aboard Southwest Airlines, United Air Lines and America West Airlines flights. CHP Commissioner D.O. “Spike” Helmick said that as part of the eight hours of special training, the officers received instruction on firing guns on airplanes, although, he said, “that would be a last resort.”

Davis, who also appeared at an event honoring agriculture, picked up endorsements from two agricultural groups, while Simon met with other Republicans running for statewide office on the November ballot. He tried to demonstrate that he is unifying the California Republican Party by appearing at a news conference across from the Capitol and later at a fund-raiser with Republican National Committee chairman Marc Racicot.

Joining Simon at the news conference was Gerald Parsky, a top advisor to President Bush in California who had been outspoken in his support for former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, defeated by Simon in the primary election this month.

“The president is fully supportive of Bill Simon’s campaign and the entire ticket,” Parsky said.

“Clearly we had a lot of direct, very candid discussions throughout the course of primary season. But that is history, quite frankly,” Racicot said.

Bush plans to visit California next month to campaign for Simon, and Racicot vowed that the GOP will provide the businessman from Pacific Palisades with whatever help he needs.

Simon answered a question about energy deregulation by criticizing Davis for signing long-term contracts with independent energy producers to supply electricity at a cost of more than $40 billion over the next decade.

“His first and foremost responsibility is renegotiating those contracts,” Simon said, adding that the prices are more than double the current cost of electricity. Davis is trying to renegotiate the deals.

Simon also would not discuss his opposition to abortion, except to say: “I’ve made my views on abortion very clear.”

“Abortion will not be the centerpiece of my agenda,” Simon said. “What I want to choose to talk about at much greater length are these issues: the economy, our schools, our roads and our power.”

Davis, who convened news conferences before and after Simon’s public appearance, said, “It really doesn’t matter what Bill Simon wants to talk about, or what Gray Davis wants to talk about. The public in this state owns this election. They’re entitled to hear about any issue of importance to them. If Mr. Simon says he’ll change the subject when issues come up that he is uncomfortable with, the public doesn’t let you do that.”

Davis cited his differences with Simon on what he sees as key issues: “I’m strongly pro-choice. Mr. Simon is firmly anti-choice. I believe in reasonable gun control. Mr. Simon got an ‘A’ from the National Rifle Assn.”