Jerry Brown to Run for California Governor in 2010 But Worried About Dianne Feinstein?

Former Democrat Mayor of San Francisco and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown seems to think Jerry Brown is a go as a REPRISE California Governor – despite Senator Dianne Feinstein’s intentions.

Then, in walks Jerry Brown and his wife and campaign manager, Anne Gust, and Joe Trippi – Howard Dean’s guru of online campaigning. A few minutes later Peter Coyote walks in.

Jerry was singularly focused on Dianne Feinstein. Every other line was an inquiry about my assessment or Rose’s assessment or Peter’s assessment or anyone else’s assessment about Dianne’s candidacy for governor.

He didn’t seem at all worried about Gavin Newsom.

Finally I asked Jerry, “Are you really deadly serious about running for governor?”

“I am, I am,” he said.

So I told him: “Then you should announce. Make it serious.

“Dianne is not going to run in a crowd of people,” I said. “Newsom is already in and John Garamendi is in. If you add your name to that list, Dianne will announce her chairmanship of the Senate Intelligence Committee and stay in Washington.”

And, Brown’s former chief of staff and recalled California Governor (replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger) Gray Davis is fundraising for Jerry.

Davis sent a note last week inviting donors to a reception he is hosting at his home for Brown this Tuesday.

“Jerry has done a great job as California’s attorney general,” Davis wrote to invitees. “Please join us in supporting his re-election campaign.”

Donors are asked to give from $2,000 to the legal maximum of $12,000.

Officially, the money raised must go toward Brown’s reelection campaign for attorney general.

But Brown, who served two terms as governor before term limits were in place, is making noise about running for the state’s top office again. And any funds he raises for his reelection campaign can easily be transferred to a run for governor. Brown has already stripped his 2010 campaign account title of any reference to attorney general. It’s simply “Jerry Brown 2010.”

Flap knows that Jerry Brown is a GO unless his health fails. But, will a retread Brown be able to beat either Steve Poizner or Meg Whitman?

Stay tuned……