GRAY DAVIS GENERATES HEAT, NOT LIGHT.(energy crisis, California)(Brief Article)

California Governor Gray Davis is not one to let a little energy crisis get in the way of his political ambition. He's learned from the woes of fellow New Democrat Bill Clinton, who proved that any situation--no matter how damaging it may at first seem--can ultimately be turned into a partisan advantage. Give Davis a black-out, he'll start selling flashlights.

He managed for a while to deflect his misfortunes at the man he hopes to defeat in 2004, President George W. Bush, by casting the blame for California's predicament on a vast lone-star conspiracy. "What's going on here, pure and simple," he complained in May, "is unconscionable price-gouging by the big energy producers--most of them, incidentally, located in Texas."

Pity Davis spokesman Steve Maglivio, who, in July, had to explain that comment to reporters who had just gone over the state's energy contracts--and found that Texas companies accounted for less than 10 percent of them. Left with little other recourse, Maglivio simply extended the attack to the other red states that backed Bush on the notorious 2000 electoral map. "Anywhere they wear cowboy hats," the flak blustered, "they probably have handkerchiefs across their face because they are robbing us blind."

Actually, the suppliers that have helped the Golden State keep its lights on (albeit intermittently) are based all over North America, including Vancouver and Seattle. But there are no political points to be scored by blasting snowshoe-wearing Canadians or slicker-clad, Starbucks-slurping Pacific Northwesterners.

And for Davis, it's all about scoring political points.

To aid him through the tough times, the governor briefly added political ...