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.
Way to go ... I got home from work and enjoyed the news. Thanks, for the heads up!
More Bravo Sierra is produced, packaged and shipped out of Sacramento than anything else.
In fact the Splash window I got said the website is currently being developed by GotData.com
You know, when Clinon started his "Legal Defense Fund", I tried to get everyone to send him a pair of used underwear with a note to the effect that they were worth $2.00--which is what Hillary claimed each pair was worth on the couples' income-tax forms. The idea of the Legal Defense Fund getting swamped by zillions of used skivvies was somehow precious to me.
Hillary was careful enough to account for each $2 worth of unmentionables--but "forgot" to claim a $16,000 "loss" on Whitewater...
For some reason the idea did not catch on to the general public.
--Boris
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.