Dueling endorsements

The two apparent leading candidates for the 48th Congressional

District seat -- former Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer and state Sen.

John Campbell -- continue to battle for endorsements and to fill

their campaign coffers as they wait for the special election to be

scheduled.

On Wednesday, Brewer said she’d secured four endorsements from

former assembly GOP colleagues, including one that might particularly

rankle with Campbell: Ken Maddox, a now termed-out assemblyman who

ran against Campbell for state Senate last year.

Brewer also has backing from former San Diego-area Assemblywoman

Tricia Hunter, former Victorville Assemblyman Keith Olberg, and

former Riverside County Assemblyman Rob Pacheco.

Campbell countered with the backing of the entire five-member City

Council of Tustin, the third largest city in the congressional

district. Tustin Mayor Lou Bone and members of the council Doug

Davert, Tracy Worley Hagen, Tony Kawashima and Jerry Amante added

their support, but they’re not likely to steal top billing from the

Governor, who endorsed Campbell last week.

Earlier this week, Campbell announced an endorsement from the

Washington, D.C.-based Club for Growth, a proponent of free markets.

A fundraiser for Brewer last Thursday in Newport Beach “doubled

our expectations of what we were going to bring in,” said Harvey

Englander, a campaign consultant for Brewer. The event, held by Women

in Leadership -- a nonpartisan group that backs women candidates who

support abortion rights -- helped boost Brewer’s cash, which as of

Wednesday totaled more than $450,000, Englander said.

But she’ll have to make a few more rounds with the collection

plate to keep up with Campbell, who has personal wealth from his days

in the auto business and has said he’ll spend up to $2 million on the

race.

“We’re going full bore,” Englander said. “We will be more than

financially competitive with the car dealer.”

Schwarzenegger’s on the clock

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t yet set a date for the special

election to fill the 48th Congressional District seat vacated by

Christopher Cox, but he’d better get on the stick. He has until the

end of Tuesday to schedule a general election, which must be between

112 and 119 days later.

If he calls the election any time before Tuesday, the primary

would likely be Oct. 11, with a general election Dec. 6. On

Wednesday, the Governor was out of the state.

A spokeswoman in his office wouldn’t speculate on when he might

announce the election.

The ultimate protest resort

The antiwar protest that takes place every Friday across from

South Coast Plaza might get a little bigger this week. Aliso Viejo

activist Julie Colombero plans to bring a group to join protesters

against the Iraq war from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the corner of

Bristol Street and Anton Boulevard. She solicited volunteers for her

“Wake Up, America” demonstration through the website of Orange County

Grassroots, a progressive voters’ organization. For information,

visit o7www.ocgrassroots.comf7.