Posted on 06/18/2002 4:13:19 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan
Group formerly supported Davis
A nasty spat between Gov. Gray Davis' re-election campaign and a group of former law enforcement supporters erupted yesterday over the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs' endorsement of Republican nominee Bill Simon.
A war of words between Davis campaign manager Garry South and COPS officials culminated in a lively late afternoon news conference in San Diego dominated by a most unlikely topic for the straight-laced Simon campaign: horse manure, or a crude synonym to that effect.
Monty Holden, executive director of the group, said it's backing Simon because Davis has failed to live up to his commitment to support local law enforcement.
Officials said they had been subjected to harassment at the hands of the Davis campaign since word of the impending endorsement got out.
They produced a fax sent by South in late March to COPS president Kelley Moran threatening Holden's position on the Davis-appointed Police Officers Standards and Training commission.
"What is this horse----?!" South demanded. "Monty Holden declaring war through COPS on the governor of California who only appointed him to POST and pimping for Simon?"
"Has Holden lost his mind?" South continued. "If this reflects his sentiments, he needs to lose his job!"
COPS lobbyist Bill Hemby said South should watch his mail for a package of the substance in question.
"We have a fax from Mr. Garry South, who is the chief orchestrator of the governor's campaign, calling our executive director a pimp and the fact that we may be endorsing Bill Simon he called it horse----," said Hemby.
"Well, we're sending Garry South a box of horse manure to let him know that our endorsement of Bill Simon was not horse----, but what we're sending him is going to be."
South said COPS pulled its endorsement of Davis after trying unsuccessfully to shake the campaign down for $100,000 to buy onto a slate mailer before the primary election when the governor had no significant Democratic opposition.
"They're a bunch of money-grubbing mercenaries who sell out to the highest bidder, and we didn't play with them in the primary, so they got (ticked) off and went in the other direction," South said.
Hemby said the Davis campaign approached COPS about the mailer.
COPS claims to "represent" 5,000 law enforcement officers but is far smaller when it comes to dues-paying members.
A March memo from Holden to COPS directors circulated yesterday by the Davis campaign depicts a financially struggling organization that was losing members.
In the memo, Holden says a Simon endorsement would be "a huge recruiting tool" among Republican rank-and-file police officers.
Yes, they supported Davis in 1998!
I like that!
By the time most politicians learn the job they were elected to do, it?s usually time to bring them up on charges. - anon.
The first requirement of a statesmen is that he be dull. This is not always easy to achieve. - Dean Acheson, Observer. June 21, 1970.
To plunder, to lie, to show your arse, are three essentials for climbing high. - Aristophanes, The Knights. 424 b.c.
California Governor Gray Davis looks like he made a U Turn on the way to becoming an albino.
The thread is a great laugh!
The dems aren't interested in the small guy? Who is surprised?
State employees doing their part for Govenor Davis.
Hmmmmm .... Republican rank-and-file police officers ... and Davis thinks that he has law enforcement locked up? I think not ... Obviously, this Holden is listening to his membership.
Go Simon!
Even though I'm not a Californian, I can see that my Simon contribution is worth its weight in gold, and thats no horsesh!t.
COPS claims to "represent" 5,000 law enforcement officers but is far smaller when it comes to dues-paying members.
It's okay to pad the numbers for left-wing fringe groups, but a union that supports a Republican candidate??? They must be just a handful of malcontents.
Ah, evidence of a misspent youth.
LOL
A paraphrase of the dialog...
"I gave it the Davis Campaign!"
"You...gave it to the Davis Campaign?!?!"
"Aye! I sent the whole kit an' kaboodle over to the Campaign headquarters...where it'll blend right in with the other filth there!"
Golleee, Gary... You sure became a major participant in this goat ffff! Your petty little ego bit off more than Davis can chew.
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