Big Money Flows In The Contest To Run California

Eric Ellis San Francisco

04/29/1998

Forget the age-old ideology war between Democrats and Republicans. The most spirited battle in the contest to govern the United States' most important State is being waged over the very Californian issue of herbs, or "erbs" as locals prefer to say. In the green corner is Dennis Peron, a San Francisco campaigner who led a 1996 campaign that legalised the use of marijuana for medicinal use. In the yellow corner is Del Mar doctor Harold Bloomfield, whose Natural Law Party is running on a ticket advocating the use of St John's wort to aid depression, reforming the State's education system by "improving the nutritional value of school lunches", and fighting recidivist law-breakers by introducing transcendental meditation to State prisons.

All of which has led wags to adapt the adage that brought the non-inhaling Bill Clinton to the White House. In California 1998, "it's the herb, stupid". From the platform of San Francisco's Cannabis Cultivators Club, the hirsute Peron announced his entry for the Republican nomination when State Attorney-General Dan Lungren, his great rival and, admittedly, the GOP frontrunner to succeed Republican incumbent Pete Wilson, shut down the club. It promptly reopened under a different name, the Cannabis Healing Centre, and with a different leader, 79-year-old Hazel Rodgers. Peron had nobly stood down in his pursuit of higher office.

Winning the Republicans over is one thing but like all thorough, er, grass-roots politicians, Peron is taking out opponents one by one. In a withering attack, his campaign team wilted rosy-cheeked Bloomfield camp's petals with perhaps the cruellest cut of all, saying that St John's wort "doesn't solve everyone's problems". Welcome to Campaign California 1998. Or is it 1968? No question what year it is over in the slick Democrat camp of their Beverly Hills-based front- runner Al Checchi.

Armed with a personal war chest of $US800 million ($1.24 billion) fattened by 1998-style sharemarket riches, the former head of Northwest Airlines is setting records for candidate spending.

He's already broken the US State spending record - this even before the June 2 primary - and is already close to the $US30 million the 1994 California race cost in total. He fully expects to have surpassed Ross Perot's towering $US60 million spent in his 1992 bid for the White House.

"I will spend whatever it takes to assure that my fellow Californians are informed," said Checchi recently. "I'm in the very fortunate position because I don't have to trim what I say because of fund-raising."

Part of the Checchi campaign focuses on the correct pronunciation - "Check-ee" - of his Italian-origin name.

But with the unfavourable publicity coming from his throwing unprecedented wads of cash around the State for the privilege of living in the State capital, Sacramento - a city whose only obvious attraction is that it's mid-way between the Lake Tahoe ski fields and San Francisco - the ploy might backfire on Checchi.

Indeed, it is politics in the style of George Washington, but as he appears on the dollar note. So far, Checchi seems to be approaching politics as he did when he was a feared corporate raider - he's taking over the race. His imposing wave of cash has taken out two experienced Democrat opponents who had proved more popular in early polling, as well as popular Republicans.

The first was Diane Fienstein, a former San Francisco Mayor, now a popular Senator, who has long coveted the State governorship and is no stranger to self-funded political opponents. She became a senator after seeing off Republican Michael Huffington's $US30 million bid in 1994, but Checchi's wealth was clearly something else again.

An early frontrunner without formally declaring her candidacy, she kept pundits guessing that she had opted out, citing concerns at the size of the Checchi war chest.

Her late departure prompted the exit of Bill Clinton's capable former chief of staff and budget director, Leon Panetta.

No pauper in representing the good burghers of well-heeled Monterey, Panetta bowed out, saying there was no way he could compete with Checchi's cash at such short notice.

San Diego's well-regarded Republican Mayor, Susan Golding, also stepped down, citing money worries.

While no-one short of Bill Gates would seem to be able to match Checchi's campaign, the two remaining Democrat opponents are putting up a good effort.

Fellow Los Angeleno Jane Harman has the benefit of a husband who made a pile in selling electronic components, and she has so far spent about $US5million in her campaign. Her husband, Sidney is worth around $US15 million and they reportedly have a strong marriage.

The other candidate, Gray Davis, has the benefit, or the disadvantage, as rich novice Checchi sees it, of a long record in the State administration as Lieutenant-Governor.

"Poor" Gray Davis, as he's become known, was an early frontrunner but he has been somewhat eclipsed by the weight of Checchi and Harman's cash.

The money race isn't just a Democrat preserve. Car-alarm millionaire Darrell Issa is making a strong GOP pitch for the Democrat senate seat held by Barbara Boxer, while Phil Angelides, a Sacramento real-estate developer, wants to be State Treasurer.

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, worth an estimated $US100 million, briefly toyed with the idea of being Governor but decided he was having too much fun running LA than aspiring to an office that Al Checchi has described as "the second best bully pulpit in the country".