Seven of the candidates vying to be California’s next Attorney General participated in a candidate forum hosted by Jewish legal aid nonprofit Bet Tzedek on May 17 at the Sony Picture Studios lot in Culver City. Mitch Kamin, Bet Tzedek’s president and CEO, told the group that the event was “not a debate,” and that they should focus on substantive issues rather than each other’s personalities. For the most part, they did just that.
Present were six Democrats: former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo; San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris; former Facebook executive Chris Kelly; and California Assemblymen Ted Lieu, Pedro Nava and Alberto Torrico. The only Republican attendee was former Chapman University School of Law dean John Eastman.
The six Democrats often agreed on policy issues, such as immigration reform, protections for seniors and consumers, the foreclosure crisis, the environment, and health care reform. They used personal experiences and work to distinguish themselves from the others. Eastman, politically alone on almost every issue, made traditionally conservative points. They all also answered a series of “lightning round” questions on contentious issues, including gay marriage and legalization of recreational marijuana.
On the flashpoint social issues, all of the Democrats said they support marriage equality for gays and lesbians, but none would flatly say that he or she supports legalization of recreational marijuana. Eastman opposes both.
The Democrats were most zealous in attacking the reckless banks, insurers and fraudsters that have come to define hard times during California’s recession and slow recovery. “Consumer protection is one of the highest callings of this office,” said Lieu, who focused on his legislation that prevents fraudulent tax relief agencies from targeting vulnerable seniors. Delgadillo pointed to his lawsuit as the L.A. city attorney against health insurers that rewarded employees who found loopholes to drop coverage for the sick. And on banks that are busy foreclosing on homes, Nava upped the ante: “[As attorney general,] I’d start issuing subpoenas, because that’s why God made them.”
Eastman refused to blame banks in general and would not endorse modification of home loans. “We can’t modify contracts if we don’t like the consequences,” Eastman said, reasoning that the Democrats’ approach would dry up credit markets and that banks had been required by law to make loans to consumers even if they could not afford them. Delgadillo retorted that greed, not government, led to the foreclosure crisis.
The gulf between the Democrats and Eastman reappeared during discussion of Arizona’s controversial new law requiring police to arrest suspected undocumented immigrants. “The law in Arizona is unconstitutional on its face,” Torrico said. All of the Democrats blasted the law as morally wrong and said it would cause racial profiling by law enforcement. Several of them also pointed out that it could discourage undocumented immigrants from reporting crimes against them to police: “As a prosecutor, [I know that] trust is key,” said Harris, who in San Francisco prosecuted contractors who preyed on undocumented laborers. In a similar vein, Harris pointed to her work protecting undocumented immigrants who are victims of human trafficking into the United States.
For his part, Kelly was most animated when asked to respond to Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman’s call for California to join 20 states currently suing to block President Obama’s health care reforms. Kelly said he delivered a petition with 10,000 signatures to Whitman essentially saying “Hell no.” “We need to defend the law, not challenge it,” he added. Kelly worked as a domestic policy adviser for the Clinton administration during the 1990s.
Whitman also figured into the forum for her campaign pledge that as governor she would impose a moratorium on enforcement of California’s climate change law AB 32. Lieu called Whitman’s threat “crazy” and Torrico made clear that “[AB 32 is] going into effect whether Meg Whitman likes it or not.” Nava said he would confront legislation that would have detrimental effects on the environment and pointed to his endorsement by the Sierra Club and service on the California Coastal Commission.
The primary election that will narrow this field of candidates takes place on Tuesday, June 8.
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