Posted on 01/26/2002 7:00:57 PM PST by lewislynn
Gov. Gray Davis, whose campaign aides say he's not going to take it any more, unleashed a new television ad Friday attacking chief Republican rival Richard Riordan's views on abortion.
The 30-second ad, scheduled to air heavily statewide, accuses Riordan of funding anti-abortion efforts and candidates despite his professed support of abortion rights.
Riordan immediately unleashed a televised reply of his own in which he chides Davis for attacking him personally "instead of outlining his plans for the future."
As recently as Tuesday, Riordan told viewers of a televised statewide debate that he believes "a woman has a right to make her own decisions as to her body and to her life," despite his personal opposition to abortion. He said the state Republican Party risks extinction if it holds to its current "pro-life" stance.
On the campaign trail, he has said he believes that government should help fund abortions for low-income women.
The Davis ad seeks to raise doubts about Riordan's position, saying he has "contributed thousands to anti-choice candidates as recently as 2001." It also says that he raised $500,000 in an unsuccessful effort to put conservative jurist Robert Bork on the U.S. Supreme Court and contributed money to Americans United for Life and the Right to Life League.
"He claims he's a different kind of Republican because he's supposedly pro-choice," Davis political consultant Garry South said. "He says he can save the California Republican Party because he's pro-choice. He claims he can bring women flocking back to the Republican Party because he's pro-choice. Given the centrality of this issue to his campaign, we thought people ... needed to know the rest of the story."
Riordan's new ad, clearly prepared in advance in an effort to blunt any Davis attack, takes the Democratic governor to task for his approach.
"It's typical politics, and Californians deserve better," Riordan says in the spot. "We have a huge budget deficit, jobs leaving our state and children under-performing in our schools. I will continue to focus on what needs to be done to turn our state around. I hope Governor Davis does the same."
Riordan spokeswoman Margita Thompson didn't dispute the facts in Davis' ad but said the spot attempts to mislead viewers about the former mayor's current position. She said South ran a similar ad against Riordan in 1993, when South was communications director for the unsuccessful mayoral campaign of former Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo.
"What he's trying to do is relive the '93 campaign, whereas we're focusing on the 2002 challenges that are facing California," Thompson said.
South said Riordan appears to have the upper hand in the Republican primary, based on what he called the "limp" campaign of businessman Bill Simon and the relatively unfunded campaign of Secretary of State Bill Jones. He said Riordan has run ads that suggest Davis is guilty of "gross mismanagement" as governor. If a general-election race is under way, he said the Davis campaign is going to participate.
"I've been publicly warning Riordan for weeks that we were not going to allow him to use the governor as a punching bag in the Republican primary without a very aggressive response," South said. "We think it was about time Dick Riordan had to answer for some of his own sins of omission and commission."
The Bee's Amy Chance can be reached at (916) 326-5535 or achance@sacbee.com .
Yes, several people have made that prediction over the past few months, but is that really something to be concerned about? I mean, California is shot down the toilet anyway - - Gore won big there - - and the place is apparently a Democrat parasite nest which is only getting worse by the minute. Plus, there are a few other rats who are hankering to get into the race such as Kerry, Edwards, and (hopefully) Bride of Scumbag herself. The rat primary could be great fun. The more the merrier, I always say. I just can't see that miracle of facial plastic surgery Davis giving Bush a hard time. (Does Davis remind you of DeLorean or what?)
So, these "Catholics" are fighting with each other over who has most ardently embraced the Culture of Death? A splendid example of Christians bringing the light of the gospel into the public square! (And no matter which of them wins, I'll bet the cardinal will show up to bless the inaugural.)
You are sooo right.
FYI, Davis wanted to have an inaugural Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament across from the capitol and it was nixed by the archiodecese.
Well, I'm glad at least one of our CA bishops has some sense. Who is the archbishop/cardinal of the Sacto diocese?
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