Ya know what are really annoying me are all the ap stories saying that Simon is "against abortion rights." It's like in CA there is absolutely no dissention on Abortion and it's the Conservative right stripper boogeyman coming at you! ARGH!!
That's why the media are emphasizing it --- because they believe it will galvanize liberal voters. The reality is twofold: 1) California voters as a whole don't rate this issue as very important (which I take to mean, like it or not, that they are pretty happy with the status quo) and 2) even if they did, Bill Simon will be powerless to have any meaningful impact on abortion as it is really a federal issue.
Perhaps the best retort to liberals on this is "Well, Simon is like Bush on this issue: he doesn't personally believe a million plus abortions per year is right, but he hasn't done anything to stop them, either. You don't need Davis to protect abortion, but you do need Simon for Education, the State Economy and for Public Safety."