Remembering The Doris Allen Speakership

In June of 1995, the late GOP Assemblywoman Doris Allen (who represented west Orange County 67th Assembly District) sold out her fellow Assembly Republicans and made herself Speaker with support of Assembly Democrats and under the control of Willie Brown. it was the third in a series of sell-outs that delayed the GOP from taking control of the Assembly for an entire year. Her betrayal set in motion events which culminated in her recall on November 28, 1995.

It was a fiery, exciting episode in Orange County Republican politics, and still reverberates through county politics. many of the leading figures from that time are still actively shaping Orange County politics: Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, Sen. Dick Ackerman, OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh, former Sen. John Lewis, Jeff Flint, Matt Holder and even yours truly).

Assembly Republican Caucus staffers kept a thorough and fascinating (from a political junkie/historian perspective) Chronology of Events covering Doris Allen's election as Speaker to almost the end of her successor Brian Setencich's (the tall, tall guy with the high, high voice) brief career as Willie Brown's puppet Speaker. The chronology disappeared for a long time until one of my colleagues from that era recently unearthed it -- hence this post.

For those who were around during that turbulent episode, it is a real trip down memory lane. For those who weren't, it's a fascinating peek into the behind-the-scenes maneuvers, battles and back-stabbings that characterized the Allen-Setencich speakerships -- vignettes that rarely made the press.

I learned a number of enduring lessons during those few months, one of which was that one's location of the philosophical spectrum is an unreliable indicator of political fortitude and loyalty. When Doris Allen became Speaker, it was quickly revealed which Assembly Republicans would stand on principle and which ones would go Quisling. As a fire-eating solider in the conservative movement, I was dismayed to find that some of the Assembly most conservative members -- according to themselves -- were the squishiest politically. People like Bernie Richter and Bruce Thompson were regularly constantly undermining the GOP Caucus and trying to cut self-benefiting deals with the Democrats.

On the other hand, flaming moderates like Brooks Firestone were rock-solid in their commitment to maintaining a unified Caucus and recalling Doris Allen.

Here in Orange County, self-appointed conservative consciences like former Assemblyman and "Principles Over Politics" founder Gil Ferguson hailed Allen's sell-out to the Democrats and actively opposed her recall.

I was working as a committee staffer for then-Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian when everything  hit the fan that June. Jeff Flint was tapped to manage the Doris Allen recall campaign, and my talents were tapped as the writer of a regular mass-fax (this was before e-mail) called The Doris Watch -- an one-pager that irreverently criticized and exposed the actions of Allen. It rapidly became a popular read in state political circles, and drove the Allen people crazy.

My job didn't pay much, but it was the only one I had and I didn't want to lose it. So my authorship of the Doris Watch was kept very hush-hush. I'd write it at home and fax it from my computer to Jeff at the recall HQ for approval for it was ponderously faxed over-night out to the distribution list.

One day, however, Jeff neglected to shred the cover sheet of a draft Doris Watch, which identified me as the author. To make a long story short, the cover sheet wound up in the dumpster and was found by dumpster-diving Doris Allen staffer Steve Brody.

I was surprised I hadn't been fired when Doris first became speaker, and now I was certain the hammer was going to fall.

But it never did. I continued to write the Doris Watch and shortly afterward left Kaloogian's staff to became the first government affairs guy for the International Jet Sports Boating Association (now the American Watercraft Association).

I never did understand why I wasn't canned following the discovery I was writing The Doris Watch. I ascribed it to the incompetence of Allen's Sacramento operation.

Years later, I learned the truth.

I was good friends with the Cathy Sullivan (who ran Allen's district office) and Kellie Martin (who was an Allen field rep). They were both great ladies and good conservatives (which often caused me to wonder why they worked for Doris). As Kellie (who is now Kellie Bieber of Bieber Communications) told me a few years ago, Doris was going to fire me but she and Cathy basically pleaded on my behalf and convinced Doris to spare me.

Thank you again, Kellie!

Comments

[brian]

Ah yes living in OC at the time I remember well with much amusement how the GOP was skunked again
Say what you will about Willie he was a master in figuring out what motivated people
That and counting to 41

[Bruce Matthias]

Great stuff, Jubal. Thanks for the retrospective. There are lessons for all in this story.

I remember attending Doris' memorial service at the Crystal Cathedral and seeing many of her old adversaries there paying their respects. Scott Baugh, in particular, was his usual class act at that memorial service.