McPhersons Are From Venus, Bowens Are From Mars

You'd expect a little diplomacy out of campaigns for secretary of state, but California is getting some hot candidate-on-candidate action between Republican Bruce McPherson and Democrat Debra Bowen. Polls show Bruce and Debra only a few points apart, which can only mean one thing: Catfight!

Speaking of gender-loaded and sexist language, McPherson just put out a press release calling Bowen ... pushy. He quoted newspaper articles about her "aggressive demeanor" and "combative style" and "combative nature." Bowen "created tensions," while McPherson established "lines of communications and a cooperative spirit" with county elections officials.

McPherson's campaign is attempting to link Bowen, a state senator, to the aggressive and pushy former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, who resigned in disgrace. You almost never see a campaign press release attacking someone's personality — let alone that of one of the few women on the statewide ballot — only because it could lead to retaliatory missives suggesting, perhaps, that someone is mildly dumb or doesn't put the toilet seat down.

McPherson really went for the jugular during his only face-to-face debate with Bowen. He said that Bowen was using "innuendo" and "conspiracy theories" about the reliability of California's voting machines, and then said the disabled and blind would be denied the ability to vote if Bowen won the post. She replied: "You are scaring people in a way that is really shameful. Bruce, you've been my friend for a long time, and this is not your finest moment in public service."

McPherson wouldn't be secretary of state without Shelley; Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed the former Republican lawmaker to the post after Shelley resigned. But now he's being completely ungrateful to Shelley for launching his statewide career. This election, McPherson has called for the state of California to sue his predecessor for allegedly misspending $3 million in federal election money, even though McPherson argued previously that Shelley misspent much less.

McPherson told The Times' Seema Mehta: "Would Californians want me to sit on my hands and do nothing, or say, 'OK, that's good enough'?" But Bowen countered: "It makes it more clear than ever that stunt last week was political grandstanding. It really is another case of the secretary saying one thing and doing another, and in this case, there is a paper trail."

Meow!

(Photos: AP)