Deukmejian Bows Out as VP Possibility

SACRAMENTO — Gov. George Deukmejian, faced with persistent speculation that he is a candidate for the Republican vice presidential nomination, formally took himself out of the running Thursday in a letter to Vice President George Bush.

“I am honored and very grateful for your consideration, but I must tell you that I cannot be considered for the office of vice president,” Deukmejian told Bush in the letter. The letter, dated Tuesday, was sent from Seoul, Korea, and released by Deukmejian’s staff here after the governor confirmed that Bush had received it.

Deukmejian, one of a number of potential running mates being considered by Bush, is winding up a two-week trade mission and political tour of the Far East.

Party Politics

As he has been saying for months, Deukmejian told Bush that he is unwilling to turn the governor’s office over to a Democrat. Under the rules of succession, Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy would become governor if the job is vacated by Deukmejian.

“As you know, if I were to assume the vice presidency, it would mean turning the entire executive branch of the nation’s most populous state over to the Democratic Party,” Deukmejian said.

He added, “The Republican Party has many bright national stars who would bring great distinction to the Republican ticket and to your Administration as vice president.” He went on to say that he will campaign hard for Bush.

Kevin Brett, the governor’s press secretary, said Deukmejian finally decided to write a letter after Bush campaign officials tracked the governor down overseas and sought financial disclosure information for a background check they were doing on vice presidential candidates.

Brett said the governor had no objection to releasing personal financial information, but decided the time had come to once and for all make it clear that he did not want the vice presidential nomination.

During the trip to Asia and various Pacific Rim nations, Deukmejian has been dogged by questions about being a vice presidential candidate at nearly every stop.

‘Speculation Was Not Subsiding’

“The governor has repeatedly said he was not interested in running for vice president, but the steady drumbeat of speculation was not subsiding. In fact, it was continuing,” Brett said.

Brett said the governor views the letter to Bush “as the final word on the subject.”

According to Brett, Deukmejian received phone calls during the trip from Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III, who is expected to be named soon as chairman of Bush’s campaign, and Bob Kimmett, a Washington attorney appointed by Bush to compile background information on vice presidential candidates. Financial disclosure documents were electronically transmitted to Deukmejian overseas by the Bush campaign.

Once Deukmejian made his decision, he drafted the letter to Bush and sent it to the vice president by special messenger. Michael Frost, Deukmejian’s chief of staff, telephoned Bush aide Craig Fuller aboard Air Force Two and read the letter to him while the vice president’s plane was en route to Corpus Christi, Tex. Frost, traveling with the governor, placed the call from Seoul.

Statements Not a Problem

Brett said disclosing the financial information was not a problem for the governor, since Deukmejian annually releases copies of his federal and state income tax filings as well as financial disclosure statements required under California law.

“For all intents and purposes, the governor lives in a fish bowl as far as his finances are concerned,” Brett said.

The governor’s announcement came a day after results of a California Poll were published showing that having Deukmejian on the GOP ticket would not significantly help Bush win California in the fall against Democratic presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis and his running mate, Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen.

Results of the survey showed that a ticket of Bush-Deukmejian would not run as strongly in California against Dukakis-Bentsen as a ticket of Bush and Kansas Sen. Bob Dole would. Dole is also being considered by Bush. No matter what the match-up was, Bush trailed Dukakis badly in California.

Crucial Battleground

One of the reasons Deukmejian’s name kept surfacing as a possible vice presidential candidate was that it was widely assumed he would give Bush an edge in California, a crucial battleground in the presidential election.

Brett said the results of the poll had no bearing on Deukmejian’s decision. He noted that the California Poll also showed that Californians still give Deukmejian high marks for his overall job performance. Deukmejian drafted the letter on Tuesday, before the results of the poll became known, Brett said.

Although Deukmejian recently has been trying to knock down speculation that he was interested in the vice presidency, less than two months ago he was refusing to flatly reject the idea of being on the GOP ticket. “You never say never,” he said. “Who knows, somebody might come up with an idea as to how it can all come together without turning (the governor’s office) over to a Democrat.”