Wannabe Governors Jockey for Position at Convention in Boston

Boston —  California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer and Treasurer Phil Angelides are on a collision course. And there was a reminder last week on the floor of the Democratic convention.

Lockyer was interrupted in mid-sentence during an interview when a California party official raced through the state’s huge delegation, shouting: “Californians, when Phil Angelides speaks, we all scream and yell!

“OK?”

Yeah, well, don’t hold your breath, I figured Lockyer was thinking.

“Hi Bill,” the official said, noticing Lockyer.

Lockyer forced a smile and kept any sarcastic thoughts to himself.

When Angelides did walk onto the giant podium for the non-prime TV slot -- interrupting our interview again -- Lockyer stood and applauded with the other Californians. But he wasn’t about to join in the screaming and yelling for his political rival.

Angelides spoke for less than five minutes as hundreds of delegates from other states milled about inattentively, chatting -- normal convention behavior toward a non-prime orator.

He touched on some convention themes: “The American idea ... reflects the values of my Greek immigrant family: Work hard, sacrifice, invest so that the next generation can do better.... This idea is now threatened -- by debt, declining wages and disappearing jobs. It is time to stand up for our values.”

“It was fine,” Lockyer politely observed afterward.

Later, Angelides admitted to some “nervousness,” but said he had heeded the advice of the veteran podium director, who counseled him as he walked on stage to ignore the jabbering delegates and speak directly to the millions of political junkies watching on C-SPAN.

At this juncture, Lockyer and Angelides are the chief contestants for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s expected reelection bid in 2006.

State Controller Steve Westly, who also was in Boston schmoozing delegates, told me he’ll run if Schwarzenegger doesn’t. Otherwise, he’ll seek reelection as controller.

All three gubernatorial hopefuls were working California’s 441 delegates and 61 alternates, the core of Democratic activism in the state.

Each spoke at a delegation breakfast, hung out with the Californians at parties and gave them souvenirs: Lockyer, Garrison Keillor’s new book, “Homegrown Democrat;” Angelides, a little book of “Bushisms” poking fun at the president’s “wit and wisdom;” Westly, a lapel pin containing his and Sen. John Kerry’s pictures. (Yes, Westly’s picture, not VP nominee John Edwards’.)

Lockyer and Angelides both insist they’re running for governor, regardless of what Schwarzenegger does.

“It’s not a maybe,” Lockyer said. “It’s time to do it. I’m taking the advice I always give kids: Whatever you’re good at, do it.”

Angelides: “My plan is to run for governor. It does not matter if Arnold Schwarzenegger is 99% in the polls. This is my moment. This is the time when I’ve got the energy, the passion, the experience to be a good governor.”

The thinking among politicos is that 2006 will be Lockyer’s last crack at the job. After that, age becomes a factor. He’s 63 now. He’d be by far the most experienced candidate -- 25 years in the Legislature, the last four as Senate leader, and eight as AG.

Both Lockyer and Angelides will be termed out of their jobs in 2006. Angelides, 51, could run for another office and delay a bid for governor. But, although he’d never acknowledge it publicly, getting elected governor in 2006 would put him on track for a future presidential run.

Westly, 47, has plenty of time. And he needs the seasoning.

Lockyer and Angelides have hefty campaign stashes from previous races -- Lockyer more than $10 million; Angelides around $13 million.

But now, Schwarzenegger seems practically unbeatable.

“He’s very popular with voters at the moment, but gradually he’ll shift from being an actor to a politician, and then he becomes vulnerable,” Lockyer said.

“His bad budget deals really are no different than what Gray [Davis] was doing.... Clearly the wheels came off.”

Angelides long ago became the anti-Arnold. “This is a governor with remarkable political capital and he didn’t spend one dime of it” to attain a balanced budget, either by cutting spending or raising taxes, Angelides says. “He added $7 billion in new debt.”

Angelides would raise taxes on the rich, like himself.

“Phil is making a mistake identifying himself as a tax-increaser,” Lockyer said. Before hiking taxes, the AG continued, politicians must convince voters that their current taxes are being spent wisely.

“Phil has been moving left. I’ve consistently been trying to take root in the middle.”

Lockyer’s is the strategy of a candidate confident of winning the primary and plotting ahead to the general election.

But also at this convention was a living, walking example of how politics doesn’t always go as planned: delegate Gray Davis.

At the last Democratic convention four years ago, California’s host governor was being written about as a future presidential prospect. This time, nobody was offering him a speaking slot and interviewers dwelt on the past.

A recalled governor was trying to break a fall and dust himself off -- while two gubernatorial wannabes were scrambling to climb a ladder and colliding.

George Skelton writes Monday and Thursday. Reach him at [email protected].