Just as Bill Simon Jr. is struggling to unite the fractious California Republican Party behind his campaign for governor, a new round of infighting has erupted among state GOP leaders.
The clash threatens to disrupt Simon's effort to build momentum among fellow conservatives and broaden his appeal to moderates for his bid to unseat Gov. Gray Davis in November.
At the center of the fight is Gerald L. Parsky, President Bush's top political operative in California. By normal political calculations, Parsky would be one of Simon's most important allies--a bridge to the popular president and the vast campaign resources of the White House. Parsky, a wealthy investment banker, is also the most powerful player in raising--and deciding how to spend--millions of dollars for the state Republican Party.
But Simon's come-from-behind victory in the March 5 primary set up multiple tensions among Parsky, the new GOP nominee and conservatives who were loyal to Simon before he defeated former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and California Secretary of State Bill Jones.
For one thing, Simon and Parsky were on opposite sides of a fierce business dispute in the early 1990s--although they have vowed to put it behind them as they work to oust the Democratic governor.
There is also political friction: The White House supported Riordan in the primary. Now, some key Simon supporters are blaming that on Parsky, the president's most visible West Coast operative.
Parsky also is under fire for the ongoing, Bush-ordered reforms of the state GOP leadership, which has weakened the conservatives' hold on the party apparatus. "Gerry Parsky should do the honorable thing and step aside so that he doesn't become a further embarrassment to the White House or to the state party," said former state GOP Chairman Michael Schroeder, echoing the comments of several other conservative leaders.
In fact, even Riordan campaign insiders say Parsky was steadfastly neutral during the primary. It was not Parsky, but Riordan's former business partner Brad Freeman--a close friend of the president who works largely behind the scenes--who was most influential in winning White House support for Riordan.
Schroeder's remarks came as an unwelcome jolt to the Simon campaign. With Parsky planning a Bush trip to California next month to raise money for Simon, the candidate's team is scrambling to stifle criticism of the president's California point-man.
