Jerry Brown spokesman Sterling Clifford "The Liar," issued a press release yesterday attacking Meg Whitman, Jon Coupal and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers PAC for the PAC’s endorsement of Meg Whitman. Clifford, whose performance as Brown spokesman brings to mind Jon Lovitz’ character "Tommy The Liar Flanigan," claims Jarvis endorsed and voted for Jerry Brown in 1978. Well I was there, and Clifford is lying to you, again.
The fact is Brown was a semi-hysterical opponent of Prop. 13 in 1978. After Prop. 13 passed by a 2/3rds margin in the June primary election, Jarvis endorsed the Republican candidate for Governor and even cut a TV spot for him. But after that, Gray Davis, Brown’s chief of staff, made a greasy secret deal with the Jarvis organization consultants at the time (long gone they are now from HJTA) and a meeting was scheduled to be held in a Hollywood residence between Brown and Jarvis. Jarvis thought the meeting was to discuss Brown’s implementation of Prop. 13. But the consultants knew better. When Jarvis got to the residence, a private camera crew was already set up, Jarvis was given a tumbler of vodka, and Gray Davis and Brown soft-soaped Jarvis into cutting and recording an on the spot endorsement. Jarvis wanted Prop. 13 to be implemented, probably didn’t realize his own consultants were in the ruse, and good naturedly cut the spot, thinking he would explain himself as endorsing BOTH candidates. Subsequent statements that he voted for Brown (and who knows who he actually voted for?) are simply Howard Jarvis being Howard Jarvis. Why say you voted for the loser? That’s reasoning I am sure Sterling Clifford "The Liar" can relate too.
