CAPITOL NOTEBOOK: WILSON HELD BUSH SUPPORT FOR RIGHT TIME.

Byline: Terri Hardy and Dorothy Korber

GOV. Gray Davis leaves no doubt whom he supports for president - coming out strongly last month in support of Vice President Al Gore. Former Gov. Pete Wilson, on the other hand, has been noticeably silent on the issue of GOP frontrunner George W. Bush - until now.

Why the tardy endorsement? Wilson spokesman Sean Walsh said it was just a question of scheduling, and ``working out the timing of a public announcement.''

Others speculated, however, that the Bush campaign was weighing the political baggage that Wilson totes.

At a campaign stop Thursday, Bush, the governor of Texas and frontrunner for the GOP nomination, was asked if fellow Republican Wilson would play any role in his California effort. It was a loaded question, given the hostility toward Wilson by the state's increasingly important Latino voters, a group that Bush has pledged to pursue.

``I hope he's a supporter, for starters,'' Bush said. ``I hope he's on my team.'' Bush expressed similar sentiments on his first trip to California in June, saying that he had a high opinion of Wilson and that he believed that Wilson ``made decisions as he saw fit'' as governor.

Asked if Wilson's ``Latino problem'' will hurt his Golden State effort, Bush said, ``I think the Latino community is going to look and say, What's on George W. Bush's heart? What's my vision of the future? What do I intend to do as president?''

Democrat Davis, meanwhile, was recently overheard dismissing Bush as an amateur. ``Not ready for prime time'' was the governor's assessment.

Hurricane Floyd 

Even with the Legislature out of town, tales linger about the audacious (and often blasphemous) behavior of Assemblyman Richard Floyd, D-Carson. Last week, the Sacramento Bee arched an eyebrow over Floyd's profanation of hallowed ground - the manicured greenery of the State Capitol itself.

The setting was the stately second-floor balcony off the Assembly chamber. Legislators who smoke can slip through a side door and onto the balcony when the urge for nicotine is undeniable.

This smoky terrace is also the scene of impromptu caucuses and occasional press interviews. On the day in question, Floyd was on the balcony, cigarette in one hand, paper cup of coffee in the other. A classic pose. Nearby, the Bee reports, a journalist was interviewing another lawmaker.

The reporter watched in horror as Floyd chucked his empty cup over the railing and into the garden below. ``What can you be thinking?'' demanded the unidentified reporter. ``Who the (expletive deleted) is this guy?'' retorted Floyd.

The reporter said he was complaining as a private citizen. Floyd, unmoved, growled, ``We have people who pick that stuff up.''

Dogs and roses

Anything can be grist for political mud, but the Tournament of Roses seems unlikely material. Not for Rep. James E. Rogan, R-Pasadena, who faces a challenge in the 27th Congressional District from state Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat who also represents the Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank area.

In a press release, Rogan noted that a recent ranking of local clout in Glendale placed Schiff ``three whole slots'' behind the city's Rose Parade float, a huge Basset hound. The dog ranked No. 5 of 103, while Schiff was No. 8. Rogan was No. 2.

``My first thought is that it seems odd that an inanimate object seems to be more influential than a sitting state senator,'' cracked Rogan spokesman Jason Roe.

The No. 1 slot was shared by the Cimmarusti brothers, Larry and Ralph, Glendale-based businessmen who own a flock of restaurant franchises. Our modest proposal: Forget Rogan, Schiff and the basset hound. Put the Cimmarustis in Congress - and on the float.