April Fool!

Jerry Brown is mousetrapped

When California Governor Jerry Brown was asked to testify before a New Hampshire legislative committee in support of a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, he looked on it as a double political opportunity, even though the offer came from Republicans. Democrat Brown could speak out again on his favorite issue, and he could also visit New Hampshire, where the nation's first presidential primary will be held in less than a year.

So with hardly a second thought, Brown last week arrived in foggy, rainy New England, only to find the political weather stormier still. The Republicans, who control the state house of representatives, had stacked the public hearing so that opponents, including Democratic Governor Hugh Gallen, would not be recognized until late in the evening.

As Brown arrived at the Concord statehouse, the Democratic members of the house committee stalked out of the hearing to protest. That left Brown with the unhappy choice of testifying, and in the process alienating the state's Democratic leaders, or backing down and look ing foolish. Brown retreated. Said he: "I am not going to be a party to a snub of the Governor of New Hampshire."

Brown left for the 3,000-mile return flight to California convinced that he had been mousetrapped by Jimmy Carter's political operatives. Both Gallen and Chris Spirou, minority leader of the New Hampshire house, are Carter supporters. But Brown's gaffe actually seems to have been a case of naivete and poor staff work. Spirou had written to Brown saying that the hearing was a "Republican scheme" and that he should stay away.

Brown never replied. Said Spirou: "He fell victim to his own arrogance and eccentric political behavior." Explained Brown: "The intramural complexities and machinations of the New Hampshire house are beyond my ken, and I'm not going to parse those complexities."

At least one voter was not bothered by the incident. On the flight home, a fellow economy-class passenger suddenly presented Brown with a check for $1,000 made out to the "Jerry Brown for President Committee." The Governor gave it back, saying that he was not yet a candidate. At week's end he was off on another trip, this time with a close friend, Singer Linda Ronstadt, and to a presumably friendlier destination: Africa, for a ten-day tour.

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