Free Republic

An extremist exists in the California governor's race. But it is not Bill Simon. Unlike the low-key businessman and philanthropist, Gray Davis is a high-strung ideologue, pursuing an agenda straight out of the pages of the Nation magazine. Consider Davis's bout of extreme liberalism this week. Appearing with the racial huckster Jesse Jackson at a San Jose shake-down conference, Davis spoke about possibly extending reparations to minorities in California. "Clearly, we want to right any wrongs and do justice to people who were taken advantage of," said Davis. Playing up his liberal credentials to the Jesse Jackson wing of the...

Private printers suffer as state agencies are used to reward political favorites. Under a decree issued late last year by Governor Gray Davis, California requires state agencies to go through the Office of State Publishing (OSP) for their printing needs. No longer are state agencies free to go directly to the lowest responsible bidder to have pamphlets or stationary produced. OSP gets the right of first refusal on all state printing jobs. This is bad news for the 5,900 privately-owned commercial print shops in California. “Mark,” a composite of those private printers, started his business by investing his modest savings,...

<p>Ty Pelfrey and his wife, Teresa, were on a plane from Sacramento to Burbank in mid-February when who should take the seat in the next row, with an entourage of security and support staff, but Gov. Gray Davis?</p> <p>Pelfrey, a teacher, saw it as an opportunity. So despite a scowl from Teresa, he introduced himself to the governor. The two had a 10-minute conversation, with plenty of good feeling all around, he says.</p>

DAVIS DECEPTION DETECTORA Project of the California Republican Party April 4, 2002 Shawn Steel, Chairman What Hillary Should Know About Gray and Women New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton treks west today to raise money for Gray Davis and Cruz Bustamante. Hillary will also reportedly appear with Gray to announce a women's coalition supporting the guv. Before gushing about Gray, Hillary may want to consult with some California women who have not had pleasant experiences with Gray . . . including her Senate colleague Dianne Feinstein. After Davis ran an ad during his 1992 senate race against Feinstein comparing Feinstein...

Governor vows to shun 'over-the-top' personal attacks but offers a highly selective portrayal of GOP opponent Simon. 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. [snip] He said many of his achievements were overshadowed by last year's electricity crisis and the hundreds...

<p>His first two years in office, Gov. Gray Davis was the luckiest of politicians. A robust economy fueled an explosion in state tax revenues. School reforms implemented by his predecessor triggered a rise in test scores. And crime rates continued their long decline from historic highs.</p>

<p>If you heard someone cheering loudly when the movies "Vanilla Sky," "I Am Sam" and "Training Day" were mentioned at Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony, it might have been Gov. Gray Davis.</p> <p>In a pop culture-related announcement that has become increasingly common for the governor, Davis last week congratulated the three films for receiving Oscar bids.</p>