AG Jerry Brown sounds very much like the candidate for governor

In an appearance before a thousand union activists in Los Angeles, State Attorney General Jerry Brown railed against Republicans and hailed trade unionists. For months Brown’s been a target of Republican candidates for governor – even though he hasn’t formally launched his expected campaign for the office. The Democrat shot back in his speech to a thousand delegates at the L.A. County Federation of Labor. “We need some reinvention here, some reinvigoration and you’re not going to get it from those Republicans who say the only thing we need is less regulation so we can go out and let greed work," he said. Brown, 71, was governor in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. He's no doubt counting on organized labor to help him retake the office. Brown told his labor audience that only they could counter the evils of unregulated free-market capitalism. “The only powerful force is organized labor to combat the selfishness and the elitism and the insensitivity of the people who rip us off and then go scott- free," Brown told the cheering crowd at the L.A. Convention Center. Brown refused to say when he’d formally declare his candidacy. He noted only that March 17 is the filing deadline. He’s already raised $12 million for a race that no other major Democrat is expected to enter. Former eBay chief Meg Whitman and State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner are vying for the Republican nomination for governor.