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latimes.com
"Davis Sharpens Attack on Bush Energy Plan
Power: He also hires high-profile consultants in effort to boost his political standing.
By DAN MORAIN, MARK Z. BARABAK, Times Staff Writers
SACRAMENTO--Gov. Gray Davis is going on the attack as the Democratic Party's point man against President Bush's energy plan, even as he seeks to bolster his drooping standing in California by hiring consultants who honed their crisis-management skills during the scandal-ridden Clinton administration.
Davis was expected to again criticize Bush's energy plan today as he makes the official Democratic response to Bush's weekly radio address.
In the last week, Davis has variously blasted the president's energy plan and Texas energy companies on an ABC talk show, on CNN, and in an opinion piece for the Washington Post. In an interview with Associated Press, Davis vowed to "hold everyone accountable: myself, the energy producers and the president of the United States."
"We are literally in a war with energy companies who are price gouging us," Davis said Friday. "Many of those companies are in Texas. Mr. President, you didn't create this problem, but you are the only one who can solve it."
At the same time, Davis all but acknowledged his own political problems when he announced that he has retained two political aides, Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane. The two, who also do work for Southern California Edison, will be paid by taxpayers at a combined rate of $30,000 per month--more than the $13,750 earned by the governor himself.
Lehane, known for his tart-tongued commentary, was Vice President Al Gore's main campaign spokesman, and had a knack for getting under Bush's skin during the 2000 campaign.
Fabiani, a Harvard law school graduate, became a highly partisan and acerbic White House defender when President Clinton was mired in investigations ranging from the Whitewater land deal to the Monica Lewinsky affair. Fabiani developed his reputation for being able to handle crises while defending Mayor Tom Bradley against various investigations near the end of the late mayor's tenure.
In political circles, the nickname of their firm is Masters of Disaster.
Davis' decision to retain Lehane and Fabiani comes as the governor's once-sterling poll numbers have fallen sharply and he faces persistent criticism over his handling of the energy crisis. ..."
Regards, Don |
