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LOS ANGELES - New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton told a crowd of supporters Saturday to "send a message to Republicans in Washington" by voting for Democrats in the upcoming elections.
In a 10-minute speech at the Century Plaza Hotel, Clinton sounded more like a candidate herself than a big name draw in the rally for Democratic Gov. Gray Davis' run for a second term. Republican Bill Simon is his challenger.
"There's a sign out here that says: 'It's still the economy, stupid,'" Clinton told an enthusiastic crowd of about 500.
In April, Clinton headlined a fund-raiser for Davis in San Francisco that added about $1 million to his already-fat $28 million war chest. She urged Democratic women to help Davis, who is pro-choice, defeat Simon, who has said he opposes abortion rights.
Davis' campaign plans to spend $2.5 million to $3 million in the remaining weeks before the election. The stream of ads have attack the investment firm, William E. Simon & Sons which Simon co-founded in 1988.
Though she mentioned Davis and some of his policies, Clinton primarily took swipes at President George W. Bush's administration and Republicans.
"They don't just want to roll back on Bill Clinton's policies, they're working on Franklin Roosevelt's and Teddy Roosevelt's as well," she said.
In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 45 percent to 35 percent, the Democrats do not seem to be resting on their laurels just yet.
Davis must overcome lackluster popularity ratings, a labor quagmire at the country's two largest ports and a budget deficit created by policies enacted during last year's energy crisis.
Clinton, however, laid the blame for the energy crisis squarely at the feet of energy chief executive officers.
"California taught the rest of the country a lesson before Enron made headlines," she said. "California was dealt a bad hand because we know these energy companies drove up prices."
About 30 protesters carried signs that stated "Davis: A Name You Can Buy," and "Blackout Davis," as they marched across the street from the hotel. Democrats who attended the rally saw them only as they entered the hotel.
The rally inside began with a lineup of party leaders, including Art Torres, head of the California Democratic Party and Terry McAuliffe, the national Democratic Party chairman.
Davis, who spoke for less than 10 minutes, also rattled off a list of his victories during his four years as governor.
"My opponent is a true blue think tank conservative," Davis said. He described improvement of schools as his "passion," and improved health insurance coverage as a key goal.
He portrayed the gubernatorial election as a clear choice for voters.
"This is as clear a contest as you can have. I am for the mainstream values of California, he is for the far right," Davis said.