The Davis Touch: A Democratic operative is behind part of the Times’ latest story

LA Weekly ^ | 10-4-03 | Bill Bradley

[ambrose]

OCTOBER 3 - 9, 2003

The Davis Touch
A Democratic operative is behind part of the Times’ latest story
by Bill Bradley

The L.A. Times has a story Saturday about three more women who allege that gubernatorial front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger engaged in sexual misconduct over the years. Schwarzenegger, on his bus tour north of Fresno, said charges in Saturday’s story "are absolutely untrue."

The Times maintains that none of the women came forward at the behest of Schwarzenegger’s opponents. That claim, however, is looking increasingly dubious. One of the three women in the story says she came forward at the urging of Jodie Evans, described by the Times as a peace activist and "co-founder of the women’s peace group Code Pink." At best, this is an incomplete, misleading description

Here’s what the newspaper should have said about Evans. She is actually a former close colleague of Gov. Gray Davis, a longtime Democratic operative and a friend of noted Democratic hit man Bob Mulholland. Evans is also the ex-wife of Westside financier Max Palevsky, the man who gave Gray Davis his first job in politics as the fund-raiser in Tom Bradley’s 1973 mayoral campaign.

Oops! Someone should have told John Carroll, the Times editor and anti-bias crusader.

Evans worked closely with Davis in the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown. While Davis served as Brown’s chief of staff, Evans was Brown’s chief fund-raiser and director of administration in the governor’s office.

Why didn’t the Times give an accurate description of Evans, who has pushed at least one woman to come forward with last-minute charges? On the campaign bus outside Fresno just now, I asked veteran Times columnist George Skelton, who acknowledges the reality of Evans’ deep ties to Davis and the Democrats, why the Times described her so disingenuously.

"Maybe the reporters and editors just didn’t know," he says.

The Times is presenting itself authoritatively on these matters. If the Times doesn’t know where the stories are coming from, what else does it not know? If the Times is not ignorant about these connections, that is whole different kettle of fish.

As most Californians know by now, Davis is the champion of negative campaigning and has nearly perfected the strategy of last-minute allegations breaking in the final days of the campaign. It should not be surprising to Times Mirror Square that his fingerprints appear on at least the latest story.

[ambrose]

It ain't over yet, folks!

Bustmante: "If every person in the immigrant communities went out and voted, I could succeed...":

[Support Free Republic]

Let's keep the Dem's on the run!
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[truthkeeper]

Even the L.A. Weekly hates Davis.

[martin_fierro]

This Bill Bradley?

[ambrose]

ping.

[FairOpinion]

Bustmante: "If every person in the immigrant communities went out and voted, I could succeed...":

Bustamantne forgot to add: "and if more Republicans would vote for McClintock, I might succeed".

McClintock is Bustamante's only chance.

If he could get a vote split of Arnold 28%, McClintock 25%, Bustamante he could win with his 30-32%.

Bustatamante says: "Go, Tom voters, Go"

[cookcounty]

For crying out loud!

NY Times.
LA Times.

Arnold Two-Timed!!

[Carry_Okie]

The Times is presenting itself authoritatively on these matters. If the Times doesn’t know where the stories are coming from, what else does it not know? If the Times is not ignorant about these connections, that is whole different kettle of fish.

There have been whispers about this story ever since Arnold announced.

[truthkeeper]

"Spam, spam, spam, spam..."

[Yardstick]

What a bunch of weasels these Rats are. It's sure going to be sweet when Arnold wins this thing.

[The Other Harry]

I think it was George Will who predicted about a month ago that there would be a last-minute hit job on whichever Republican was leading. He had it for the Friday before the elction, so he was a day off.

[John Jorsett]

It's sure going to be sweet when Arnold wins this thing.

The crowning moment for me will be when Davis is dragged from his office, screaming and clutching the drapes.

[Yardstick]

I wonder if he'll trash the place on his way out.

[dixiechick2000]

I just saw a story on FNC about the verbal and physical abuse Davis heaped on some of his female employees, but haven't been able to find it on the web, yet.

I believe the reporterette is from the L.A. Daily News. It very well could be a story that's coming out tomorrow.

This reporterette made Davis sound worse than a fully enraged Bill Clinton...throwing things, physical assaults, hurling the *F* word, among others.

If this story actually hits the newstands and airwaves, I will be so proud of our dirt diggers. It will mean we are learning to give as good as we get.

I'll keep looking for it. It should be very a interesting read.

[Defiant]

I posted it here a couple days ago. Search under "Davis" and "assault".

[Russell Scott]

I don't care who is behind it. If Arnold wasn't such a pig, they would have nothing to report. But if you want Clinton lite running California, then Arnold is your man. A fake politicain to handle real problems, I don't think so.

[Timesink]

Schadenfreude

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[jimkress]

Bustmante: "If every person in the immigrant communities went out and voted, I could succeed...":

Does that include us immigrant communities like Italian Americans, Polish Americans, German Americans, Hungarian Americans, Irish Americans, British Americans, Scottish Americans, French Americans, Belgin Americans, Danish Americans, Russian Americans, Swedish Americans, Norwegian Americans, Finnish Americans, Latvian Americans, Lithuianian Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Slovak Americans, Austrian Americans, Bulgarian Americans, etc?

Didn't think so ...

[dixiechick2000]

Thank you very much!

I didn't see the entire report, so I'm thoroughly looking forward to reading it.