Oral History Interview with Lucien C. Haas
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California state Archives state Government Oral History Program Oral History Interview with LUCIEN C. HAAS Press Secretary and Campaign Specialist, 1961 - 1984 January 19, 24 and February 2, 6, 23, 1989 Pacific Palisades, California ; By Carlos Vasquez Oral History Program University of California, Los Angeles RESTRICTIONS ON THIS INTERVIEW None. LITERARY RIGHTS AND QUOTATION This manuscript is hereby made available for research purposes only. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the California State Archivist or the Head, Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, UCLA. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to: California State Archives 1020 0 Street, Room 130 Sacramento, CA 95814 or Department of Special Collections University Research Library 405 S. Hilgard Avenue UCLA Los Angeles, CA 90024-1575 The request should include identification of the specific passages and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Lucien C. Haas, Oral History Interview, Conducted 1989 by Carlos Vasquez, UCLA Oral History Program, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program. Information California State Archives (916) 445-4293 March Fong Eu Document Restoration (916) 445-4293 1020 0 Street, Room 130 Exhibit Hall (916) 445-0748 Secretary of State Sacramento, CA 95814 Legislative Bill Service (916) 445-2832 (prior years) PREFACE On September 25, 1985, Governor George Deukmejian signed into law A.B. 2104 (Chapter 965 of the Statutes of 1985). This legislation established, under the administration of the California State Archives, a State Government Oral History Program "to provide through the use of oral history a continuing documentation of state policy development as reflected in California's legislative and executive history." The following interview is one of a series of oral histories undertaken for inclusion in the state program. These interviews offer insights into the actual workings of both the legislative and executive processes and policy mechanisms. They also offer an increased understanding of the men and women who create legislation and implement state policy. Further, they provide an overview of issue development in California state government and of how both the legislative and executive branches of government deal with issues and problems facing the state. Interviewees are chosen primarily on the basis of their contributions to and influence on the policy process of the state of California. They include members of the legislative and executive branches of the state government as well as legislative staff, advocates, members of the media, and other people who played significant roles in specific issue areas of major and continuing importance to California. By authorizing the California State Archives to work cooperatively with oral history units at California colleges and universities to conduct interviews, this program is structured to take advantage of the resources and expertise in oral history available through California's several institutionally based programs. Participating as cooperating institutions in the State Government Oral History Program are: Oral History Program History Department California State University, Fullerton Oral History Program Center for California Studies California State University, Sacramento Oral History Program Claremont Graduate School Regional Oral History Office The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley Oral History Program University of California, Los Angeles The establishment of the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program marks one of the most significant commitments made by any state toward the preservation and documentation of its governmental his tory. It supplements the often fragmentary historical written record by adding an organized primary source, enriching the historical information available on given topics and allowing for more thorough historical analysis. As such, the program, through the preservation and publi cation of interviews such as the one which follows, will be of lasting value to current and future generations of scholars, citizens and leaders. John F. Burns State Archivist July 27, 1988 This interview is printed on acid-free paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEW HISTORY i BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY iii SESSION 1, January 19, 1979 [Tape 1, Side A] . 1 Childhood in Buffalo, New York--Always his "own student"--Aspirations to travel and explore- Personal reading program and an interest in socialism--The Depression and an emerging social consciousness--A last "fling" before entering the service--Working for the Los Angeles Daily News--Experiences in college--A first encounter with blacks--The Daily News folds. [Tape 1, Side B] .............. 29 Shop steward for the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild--Red-baiting for union activity in Los Angeles--Disillusionment of many with the Communist party--Going to work for the Los Angeles Free Press--Family problems--Working in radio--Doing public relations for the beet sugar industry--Associate press secretary for Governor Edmund G. Brown, Sr.--How the governmental and political duties of the staff meshed--Brown's financial supporters--The case of savings and loans support--Raising money among large contributors--How Senator Alan Cranston raises funds--Campaign contri- butions and judicial appointments--How,the press secretary's office was organized. [Tape 2, Side A] ... 58 The governor's speechwriters--Hale Champion's role in the Governor's office--The conflict between Jesse M. Unruh and Governor Brown--The governor's allies in the legislature--The difference between the assembly and the senate --The caliber of Unruh's cohorts--l964 as a turning point in California politics--How the governor's office was surprised by the reaction to the Rumford Fair Housing Act--"Race is the driving force in politics today." SESSION 2, January 24, 1989 [Tape 3, Side A] . 79 The 1962 gubernatorial elections--The expansive mood in California--Governor Brown's education program--California's ethnic diversity and its educational system--Reaching the black and Chicano communities--Governor Brown's polit ical and judicial appointments from these communities--Richard M. Nixon's negative campaign tactics in 1962--Democratic tactics in other campaigns. [Tape 3, Side B] ... 107 More on negative campaigning in 1962--Voting shifts in recent California politics--Make-up of the Democratic party--Role of the California Democratic Council--Governor Brown as a polit ical campaigner--Brown's weaknesses--Creating the images and the words of the 1962 campaign- The role of television--An assessment of various California newspapers--Relations with the media--Moving from politics back to journalism. SESSION 3, February 2, 1989 [Tape 4, Side A] ... 129 Governor Brown's attention span--Comparing the 1962 and 1966 gubernatorial campaigns--The impact of Proposition 14--Public perceptions of the candidates--The Watts riots and the Berkeley sit-ins--More on television's impact- Governor Brown's northern California bias- Indication of the impending Watts riots--Lack of progress in Watts since 1965. [Tape 4, Side B] ......... 156 More on Watts--How television raises expectations--Politicians and political leadership--How politicians' connections benefit them--Is there a pendulum effect to California politics?--Politics as a science- Growing disparity of wealth in California--The foibles of "limousine liberals." SESSION 4, February 16, 1989 [Tape 5, Side A] .. 175 1966 farmworker march on Sacramento--Why some Democrats avoid identification with Cesar Chavez's union--Haas's list of reasons for Brown's 1966 defeat--"Dirty politics" as a recurring campaign tactic. [Tape 5, Side B] ........ 202 More on "dirty politics"--What makes a politician successful--The Pierre Salinger versus Maxwell L. Rafferty, Jr., United States Senate race--The Brown administration's contributions to state and national politics- Shortcomings of the administration--Going to Washington, D.C., after the 1966 defeat--The 1968 Cranston senatorial campaign--Strategy against Max Rafferty: "You can't debate a liar"--Appearing too aggressive in politics- Cranston supporters--Role of the antiwar movement. SESSION 5, February 23, 1989 [Tape 6, Side A] ... 231 Haas's perception of politics and of the Democratic party--Why Democrats vote Republican--Why successful politicians are dull--A McLuhanite explanation of political types--What voters care and don't care about- More on the 1968 senatorial race--Efforts by the Rafferty campaign to link Cranston with extremism--More on McLuhan's concepts of "cool" and "hot" as applied to political figures--The lack of good political reporters--Media coverage of the Cranston versus Rafferty race- Comments on Richard Nixon--Fund-raising for Senator Cranston's campaigns. [Tape 6, Side B] 262 The role of press secretary--Volunteer and paid campaign workers--Using television and direct mailing--More on the 1968 campaign--The 1970 gubernatorial race between Jesse Unruh and Governor Ronald Reagan. [Tape 7, Side A] .. 294 The 1972 George S. McGovern campaign for president--A statewide presidential campaign must have access to the candidate--Getting free TV coverage--Failure of the antiwar issue--The Thomas F. Eagleton fiasco--Other weaknesses of the McGovern campaign--The 1969 Los Angeles mayoral race--Partisanship and reapportionment- More on the electronic media in California