Davis Hints at a Rough Election

Gov. Gray Davis vowed Thursday to run a civil campaign against Republican Bill Simon, promising to shun “over-the-top” personal attacks against the businessman and neophyte candidate.

Still, Davis foreshadowed a rough election season. Offering a highly selective portrayal of his opponent, he criticized Simon’s lack of political experience, his spotty voting record and the involvement of his family investment firm in a failed savings and loan.

“He is not ready for prime time,” Davis said.

The Democrat, who is struggling to surmount his weak standing in opinion polls, explained his reelection strategy by suggesting he was not looking to win a popularity contest in November--he just wants people to favor him over Simon.

“I’m not asking people to marry me,” Davis said. “I’m asking them to make a decision as to who they want to govern this state.”

Davis discussed his reelection campaign, extolled the accomplishments of his first three years in office and briefly looked ahead to a potential second term in a wide-ranging meeting with reporters and editors from The Times.

Over the course of 90 minutes, Davis:

* Promised to debate Simon at least once before the Nov. 5 election.

* Indicated he would reduce his aggressive fund-raising if he is reelected in November.

* Defended his negative ad blitz against Republican Richard Riordan, which helped defeat the former Los Angeles mayor in the Republican gubernatorial primary this month.

* Accused his predecessor, Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, of playing “the race card” in promoting anti-affirmative action and anti-illegal immigration ballot measures that Californians approved during the 1990s. A spokesman for Wilson angrily rejected that accusation.

On another matter, Davis said he supports a $25-billion plan before the state Senate to build and modernize public schools, colleges and universities.

The measure, the outlines of which Davis proposed, would place on the November ballot a $13-billion initiative, to be followed by a $12.3-billion bond proposal in March 2004.

Most of Thursday’s discussion, however, was given over to Davis’ reelection campaign, to questions about his fund-raising and to the governor’s assessment on why California voters appear so lukewarm to job performance.

Davis Cites Effects of Electricity Crisis

Davis hailed his accomplishments on issues including education, transportation and health care, using superlatives such as “remarkable” and “groundbreaking” to tout his record.

He said many of his achievements were overshadowed by last year’s electricity crisis and the hundreds of thousands of dollars in Republican-financed attack ads that targeted Davis during the debacle.

The governor stressed, as he has repeatedly, that he inherited the state’s failed energy deregulatory policy when he took office.

Looking back at his predecessor, Davis also offered an unusually harsh assessment of Wilson and his support for Proposition 187, the anti-illegal immigration initiative, and Proposition 209, which stripped away racial preferences from state programs.

“He played the race card,” Davis said of Wilson.

“He started dividing us up, talking about special interests. He stirred the pot and generated resentment. I try to go the other way.”

Sean Walsh, a spokesman for the former governor, vehemently disagreed.

“This is false political rhetoric from a soulless governor with no long-term record of support to minority communities,” Walsh said.

“This is a continuation in a long line of race-baiting and class warfare attacks ... from a politician with no political courage and no compass.”

In contrast to his criticism of Wilson, Davis defended his repeated attacks on Simon for opposing legalized abortion.

“Wedge-issue politics is pitting one Californian against another,” Davis said, adding he supports a woman’s right to have an abortion “but I certainly don’t demean people who have a different point of view.”

Suggests Riordan Picked the Fight

Asked about his scathing assault on Riordan, Davis suggested the former mayor picked the fight when he attacked the governor and used words such as “evil” and “immoral” to describe the incumbent.

“We are at a point where a candidate cannot just sit back and allow someone else to misrepresent their record and expect that voters will ... put up some wall against whatever’s being told to them,” Davis said.

Indeed, Davis said he expects to continue to differentiate himself from his opponent now that the campaign has moved to the general election.

“It’s fair to compare and contrast,” Davis said. “It’s fair to say, ‘Here’s what this fellow believes. Here’s who’s supporting him. Here’s what I believe. Here’s who’s supporting me.’ I think that’s fair. I don’t think you should go over the top in terms of personal attacks.”

“We didn’t do so in 1998”--when Davis defeated Republican Dan Lungren--”and I don’t intend to do so in 2002.”

The governor cited Simon’s failure to vote in certain elections over the past 10 years--Simon has said the action was inexcusable.

Davis also faulted Simon, a wealthy investment banker, for the $92-million collapse of a failed savings and loan--which Simon never ran and blames, at least in part, on overzealous regulators.

“Do you want him to govern the state, the [world’s] fifth-largest economy?” Davis asked.

The governor, in turn, praised himself for running “a straightforward, relatively transparent, above-board administration.”

But he turned aside a request that he permit access to his fund-raising events, saying he saw no reason “to change the practice I’ve had my entire career.”

Davis, who has raised roughly $1 million a month since taking office in 1999, keeps his fund-raising schedule private and bars reporters from the events.

If he is reelected, Davis said, he will most likely cut back his rigorous fund-raising regimen, but will continue to solicit some donations.

“I’m sure we’ll need money for a variety of things we do,” Davis said, citing the out-of-state and foreign travels he finances with campaign funds.

But, he added, “I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m focused on this election. I have to get this budget signed.

“I would expect my needs would diminish in a second term, the need to raise money, because I don’t foresee any other state offices I would pursue.”

Though saying he had no plans to seek another office, Davis has not ruled out a race for the White House or the U.S. Senate.