California's G.O.P. Candidate for Governor (Simon) Cuts Staff and Hires Heavyweights

The New York Times ^ | Aug. 15 , 2002 | MICHAEL JANOFSKY

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

With his campaign for governor of California in desperate need of money, Bill Simon Jr. has dismissed almost a third of his staff and hired a pair of longtime political consultants to improve his chances against the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Gray Davis.

Simon campaign officials said today that the moves were needed to help their candidate, a Republican businessman in his first run for office, offset a summer of television advertisements by Mr. Davis. Even more spots are expected after Labor Day, when voters start paying closer attention.

"This signifies that in the post-Labor Day campaign, the Simon organization will be lean and very mean," said Sean T. Walsh, a state Republican strategist and campaign adviser. "We are going to take on Gray Davis in a very aggressive and direct way."

Mr. Davis's television campaign has been made possible by his six-to-one advantage in fund-raising. Through the last reporting period, ending in late June, Mr. Davis had $31.6 million in cash to $5 million for Mr. Simon.

Mr. Simon has had the added burden of defending himself on a variety of recent issues. They included his reluctance to release his income tax returns, and a jury award of $78 million against his family business for defrauding a former partner.

Aides to Mr. Simon said the dismissal of about 30 campaign workers would free up about $1.5 million for an intensified television campaign to start around Labor Day. They also said that hiring Ed Rollins and Larry McCarthy, the two consultants, would help toughen the candidate's image.

Mr. Rollins, based in New York, is a familiar face in California political circles. He most recently advised one of Mr. Simon's primary opponents, Bill Jones, the California secretary of state, and in 1994 ran the losing Senate campaign of Michael Huffington. As an unpaid adviser to Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign, Mr. Rollins resigned after using an anti-Jewish slur at a San Francisco political roast to refer to two California Democratic congressmen.

Mr. McCarthy, based in Washington, helped produce a television spot for Vice President George Bush in the 1988 that referred to a convicted murderer, Willie Horton, to suggest that Mr. Bush's Democratic opponent, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, was soft on crime.

In a letter to donors on Wednesday, John Herrington, the Simon campaign chairman, said the changes reflected the need "to deploy the maximum amount of resources into our paid media effort."

The changes in the Simon campaign this week are the latest in a series of fresh starts. Since Mr. Simon won the Republican primary in March, for example, he has had three campaign managers.

"This is a campaign in disarray," said Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican consultant not involved with the race. "No one is convinced that Gray Davis has done anything but a poor job as governor, but the Simon campaign has been unable to define him as a reasonable candidate, and he has been reeling for so many negative stories about him."

To some Democrats, Mr. Simon has appeared so weak that they expect a surge in Republican financial support in the lieutenant governor race, where Bruce McPherson, a Republican state senator, is running against the Democratic incumbent, Cruz Bustamante. In California, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

calgov2002:

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calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

"This signifies that in the post-Labor Day campaign, the Simon organization will be lean and very mean," said Sean T. Walsh, a state Republican strategist and campaign adviser. "We are going to take on Gray Davis in a very aggressive and direct way."

Maybe this will change the tone on many of the Calgov2002 threads!

[JustAmy]

Go Simon !!

[kellynla]

Well if they don't take on the Dimwit by Labor Day this Marine may have to volunteer his services! LOL Thanks for the post and the ping, Ernest.

[NormsRevenge]

Maybe this will change the tone on many of the Calgov2002 threads! br>
To quote Stan Laurel, " I certainly hope so!" . But Don;t Count On It .. ;-)

[NormsRevenge]

DUMP DAVI$ & the Den of Socialists



GO SIMON

[gubamyster]

I first read about Simon cutting his staf in the LA Times article Calif. Gov. Candidate Reduces Staff. This article had the following info:

About 30 people are being laid off from a staff of more than 70, the campaign said Wednesday.

and:

The Simon campaign, which had a staff twice as large as Davis', was spending heavily on salaries.

I haven't seen it reported in other articles that Simon had a staff twice the size of Davis. It seems like a very prudent move to cut the staff & I am also glad to see these other veterans come aboard.

Now lets hope Rollins & Harrington come out swinging.

[gubamyster]

Now lets hope Rollins & Harrington come out swinging.

Sorry, should be:

Now let's hope Rollins & McCarthy come out swinging.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I wonder how many Davis moles were flushed out with this move?

[homeschool mama]

Thank you for offering that info, gub. I think the move was wise and shows financial prudence on Simon's part. GO SIMON!!!

[BibChr]

I sure like the title, and some contents of the article hearten me. But Ed Rollins? Isn't he the one who went to work for Ross Perot, then quit and said he was nuts; who talked about "walkin' around money," and all? In other words, isn't he really unstable and unreliable, and don't I remember thinking he should be blackballed for life??

Dan

[eureka!]

'Mr. Rollins, based in New York, is a familiar face in California political circles. He most recently advised one of Mr. Simon's primary opponents, Bill Jones, the California secretary of state, and in 1994 ran the losing Senate campaign of Michael Huffington. As an unpaid adviser to Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign, Mr. Rollins resigned after using an anti-Jewish slur at a San Francisco political roast to refer to two California Democratic congressmen. Mr. McCarthy, based in Washington, helped produce a television spot for Vice President George Bush in the 1988 that referred to a convicted murderer, Willie Horton, to suggest that Mr. Bush's Democratic opponent, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, was soft on crime.'

Boy, the Clymers at the NY Times sure tout these guys' resumes. ;^)

[NormsRevenge]

Rollins ... isn't he really unstable and unreliable?

I guess the larger percentage of Undecided voters is in this category.. I could see the strategery in that in California. :-)

[BibChr]

LOL

[Digger]

All that Simon has to do is come out against ILLEGALS & he wins big. Since the "Two-Party Cartel" has no intentions of that happening Dufus will probably remain in office.

[Lancey Howard]

"This signifies that in the post-Labor Day campaign, the Simon organization will be lean and very mean," said Sean T. Walsh, a state Republican strategist and campaign adviser. "We are going to take on Gray Davis in a very aggressive and direct way."

I can already hear the wails of the scumbag "moderates" in the California GOP:
"Can't we all just get along? Ya know, if Bill Simon would just soften his views a little...."

[d14truth]

"All that Simon has to do is come out against ILLEGALS & he wins big."

You are 100% right. Only problem is that everytime a Republican says ILLEGALS, the LA and NY 'SLIMES' say immigrants. They do not seem to have any desire to have two categories of immigrants(legal and illegal); thereby, they scare(fear tactics work on the 'working poor' and many seniors) ALL immigrants into voting against Republicans.

How can the 'right' word on ILLEGAL immigration get out?

[d14truth]

"Mr. McCarthy, based in Washington, helped produce a television spot for Vice President George Bush in the 1988 that referred to a convicted murderer, Willie Horton, to suggest that Mr. Bush's Democratic opponent, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, was soft on crime."

That would, of course, be the spin-off of the AL GORE DemocRAT commercial of the 1988 DemocRAT primary. Of course, the 'SLIMES' wouldn't portray the 'inventor of the Internet' as being the perp.

[d14truth]

"Mr. Rollins resigned after using an anti-Jewish slur at a San Francisco political roast to refer to two California Democratic congressmen."

Apparently, in San Francisco, even 'political roasts' have to be sensitive, tolerant, and politically correct.

Call me a 'WASP' if you will, but, be sensitive to my color, my ancestors, and my religion. {;~)