by Roggie McFadden

LOS ANGELES -- October 7, 2002 -- Peter Miguel Camejo, Green candidate in the California gubernatorial race, was refused entry to the televised LA Times debate Monday between two other contenders for the Governor's seat. The Democratic Party candidate, Governor Gray Davis, threatened to bow out from the only such scheduled debate if security even allowed Camejo to attend as an invited guest.

"All I'm asking for is the most minimal respect," he said. "If the governor is so insane that he won't debate Bill Simon because I'm in the room, that's his problem, not mine."

The campaign for Republican candidate Bill Simon Jr., in an obvious strategy aiming to divide left-wing voters, had attempted to involve Camejo as a debate participant; when Davis saw he would be criticized from both right and left flanks, he threatened to "boycott;" Simon backed down and invited Camejo simply as a personal guest. At this point, the Los Angeles Times, in fear of some fiasco, stepped in on Davis' behalf and refused to allow the Green candidate to even attend.

Before endeavoring his valiant entrance into the Times building, Camejo unveiled the official invitation to the attend from Simon. Besieged by photojournalists and Green Party activists, Camejo pressed forth toward the way in, ever waving his paper with the great "SIMON" imprint upon it. The crowd and cameras surged forward as if to give Camejo one final push into the political arena but the wave crashed at last against a wall of LA Times staff and police who officially uninvited him and commanded the crowd to retreat.

Addressing reporters after the LA police made clear he would not be allowed inside, Camejo attributed Governor Davis' reaction to the "Latino rebellion against the Democratic Party" for issues such as "clinic closings" and Davis' recent veto of a bill that would have allowed the State of California to give out driver's licenses to residents illegally present in the United States. Davis cited "terrorism concerns" in refusing to sign the law.

This would have been the second consecutive Governor's debate that Davis would refuse to attend. Simon and Camejo earlier debated on September 17 in Beverly Hills but "debate dodger" Davis was absent, instead at a bill-signing ceremony in downtown LA.

"I'm doing the job I was hired to do, working my way through 1,200 bills that must be acted upon two weeks from today," said Davis between martinis at the excellently catered Post-Bill Signing Ceremony luncheon.

From Wilshire Gazette (November 2002)

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