Brown urges Democrats to vote in Riverside

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Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown capped the second day of his statewide tour with a Riverside rally Sunday, pledging to bring the major political parties together and urging hundreds at the Anchos Bar & Grill to turn out and vote in Tuesday’s election.

In keeping with the tone of his three previous campaign stops, Brown portrayed himself as a negotiator with the skills to forge compromises. ”I’m ready on day one to get this state working together, Republicans and Demcorats,” he said. “While we’re here today as Democrats, enthusiastic, we know we can’t make anything work unless we think also as Californians first. We gotta bring everybody together to get the best out of our Legislature, our people, and we can make the jobs.”

While his speeches were mostly positive Sunday, focused on California and its potential, Brown took a few shots at his Republican rival, Meg Whitman, as he ended the second day of his statewide tour, boasting that he was ahead in the polls despite her record spending. He used the disparity in campaign expenditures as an example of his frugality.

“I’ve shown in this campaign how you can be very successful and spend a lot less than the opposition,” he said.

Brown also attacked Whitman for her plan to eliminate the state capital gains tax, which she says would spur investment in the state and create jobs.

“My values are not to give a capital gains tax break to those who don’t need it,” he said, “it’s to invest in our schools and our colleges.”

He called on the hundreds who packed the Mexican restaurant to take their enthusiasm to the polls.

“When you get elected governor, you’re governor of all the people, but you don’t get elected govenor unless the Democrats go out and vote,” Brown said. “We can win. Go out and vote.”

--Michael J. Mishak in Riverside