EDITORIAL CANDOR IN LAW ENFORCEMENT BROWN FOR DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL.

IT'S out of the ordinary, to say the least, for a former governor to re-enter state politics and run for attorney general. But then there's nothing ordinary about Jerry Brown, which is a big part of why he's the best choice in next month's Democratic primary.

Brown's political career has most recently taken him to Oakland, where he has won wide praise for his tenure as mayor. Under Brown's leadership, crime has dropped, the downtown has been revitalized and the city has been transformed from scary to hip.

By working closely with business in Oakland, Brown has also helped to shed the ``Gov. Moonbeam'' reputation that sometimes still dogs him from the '70s. Far from being some left-wing ideologue, Brown -- especially in his approach to crime -- is actually quite centrist. In 2004, he helped lead the campaign to defeat Proposition 66, which would have watered down the ``three strikes, you're out'' law.

Brown's opponent in the primary is Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo -- who has gotten ahead of himself in jumping into this contest.

As city attorney, Delgadillo has had some commendable accomplishments, such as his Neighborhood Prosecutors program and reducing the city's legal liability. But he is a cautious politician, too cautious sometimes for his own good -- and the public's.

As city attorney, Delgadillo has been uniquely positioned to take on the culture of corruption in City Hall, both as a law-enforcement official and as someone in the public light. But this is a role he has largely avoided, mostly staying quiet amid the scandals around him.

California needs an attorney general unafraid to shake up the Sacramento power structure, and there's little reason to think Delgadillo would rise to that role. Brown, on the other hand, has never been one to go along to get along -- which is why his leadership is needed in Sacramento.