While Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon egged on
President Bush to stick with him during his campaign, demonstrators
collected outside the Regency Club on Saturday Aug. 24 to protest
them both.
Arriving at Santa Monica Airport, Bush traveled to Westwood on
the tail end of a 24-hour-long statewide trek to raise funds for
the beleaguered Simon ““ who is falling behind in both
campaign funds and voter opinion to his Democratic counterpart,
Gov. Gray Davis.
The president made two public appearances and attended three
private fundraisers during his stint in California.
He was careful not to mention Simon in the public outings, but
in the limited press coverage of the Regency Club Bush opened
up.
“I stand by his side because I know that you can do better
in California,” Bush said.
With Simon not always by his side, Bush canvassed the state,
with previous stops in Dana Point, Santa Ana and Stockton. After
appearing in Westwood he boarded a plane to New Mexico, and in the
end his appearances helped to raise $2.6 million for the Simon
campaign.
Yet Bush has been a less-than-steadfast Simon supporter. During
the state Republican primary earlier this year the president
supported former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan as his choice for the
governor’s race.
Simon responded to the media claims Bush is keeping him at an
“arm’s length.” Incidentally, Bush refrained from
making references to his new focus on corporate responsibility.
“If keeping me at an arm’s length really means
flying several thousand miles out here to campaign for us over two
days, and now you’ve done five events with us, could please
keep me at an arm’s length for the balance of the
campaign?” Simon said.
The sentiment outside the fundraisers had significantly less
humor. Sporting signs, props and costumes, upwards of 500
protesters surrounded the intersection of Westwood and Wilshire
boulevards.
Traffic was closed off for one block north and one block south
of Wilshire, and police kept close watch over the crowd. Los
Angeles Police Department Capt. Mike Hillmann said there were no
incidents of disorder.
But the morning was not lacking activity: people could be seen
in jail costumes and rubber Bush masks. Tribal dancers kept the
morning air pulsing with drum beats.
The cause was strong enough to temporarily resolve a rivalry
arguably more charged than partisan politics: Bruins and
Trojans.
“We can’t let the president come to town without
presenting a little opposition,” said Marc Korman, a member
of the University of Southern California Democrats and fourth-year
history student.
Many used the event as an opportunity to protest Bush’s
tactics in the war on terrorism, particularly the bombing in
Afghanistan and seemingly-imminent invasion of Iraq.
“We’re here to let Bush know that people all over
this nation are against this war,” said fifth-year
communication studies student Luke Patterson.
Some showed their disapproval of Simon in more creative ways.
Clad in horizontal black and white stripes, Clark Lee donned a
“Simon Fraud” sign and took his place among the
protesters.
“Bill Simon is not the guy we want in California,”
said Lee, who is regional director of the College Democrats of
America and student at Claremont McKenna College.
With reports from the Associated Press.