Lockyer predicts Cooley victory, chastises both gubernatorial candidates

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Anyone looking for a little straight talk from their politicians may need to look no further than state Treasurer Bill Lockyer. Lockyer, a Democrat running for reelection this year, was once considered a top candidate for governor before the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. But since that time, Lockyer has emerged as a paragon of political candor, even when it gets him into trouble.

This week, Lockyer spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle about the governor’s race, the attorney general’s race and other California political issues.

On the economic plans of the two candidates for governor, Lockyer said,’Neither of them has a plan that I’ve read that makes any sense.’ On the state attorney general’s race, Lockyer predicted victory for Republican Steve Cooley. ‘I think Cooley’s going to win, even though he’s a mean, gloomy bureaucrat,’ he said.

Cooley’s campaign put the back-handed vote of confidence in a press release this week. ‘The Cooley campaign, of course, takes exception to the career politician calling the career prosecutor a ‘bureaucrat,’ ‘ the statement read. ‘Ironically, Lockyer was elected to office in 1973, the same year that Cooley began in the L.A. district attorney’s office. As for being called ‘mean,’ that is also ironic coming from the volatile Lockyer, well known for his history of angry outbursts.’

But Cooley took it all in stride, adding, ‘I appreciate Bill’s confidence in the likelihood of my campaign’s success. I thank Bill for that and certainly hope he has a nice day.’

-- Anthony York in Sacramento

Photo: L.A. Times file