EDITORIAL DAVIS' ID CHECK DRIVER'S LICENSES BECOME FIRST BARGAINING CHIP IN GOVERNOR'S EFFORT TO STAY IN OFFICE.

FEARING that his days in power could be nearing an end, Gov. Gray Davis has begun a campaign to say or do whatever he can to stay in office.

Thus SB 60.

If you haven't heard of SB 60 yet, you will soon enough. It's going to be a key plank in Davis' spare-me campaign, and before all is said and done, it could become the law in California.

The bill, a favorite among organized labor and Latino activist groups, would give state driver's licenses to illegal immigrants - an idea that's both rich in potential and fraught with peril.

It's the peril that caused Davis to veto similar legislation only 10 months ago, just as he had done a year earlier.

Then, Davis noted that some of the 9-11 hijackers were able to obtain fraudulent driver's licenses that helped facilitate their attacks, so he insisted upon certain security safeguards. He demanded that the law require all illegal immigrants applying for driver's licenses to submit to criminal background checks.

That way, the state could identify potential threats, be it terrorists or car thieves. If nothing else, the state wouldn't make criminals' lives any easier by furnishing them with a legally valid ID and a license to drive.

It was a reasonable demand, and when the Legislature refused to honor it, Davis delivered his veto.

But with a recall election set for Oct. 7, the political dynamic has changed. Davis' top concern now is attracting sympathetic voters to the polls and wooing big-labor campaign contributions - not ensuring public safety.

So he's dropped his demands for background checks and promises that should SB 60 land on his desk, he'll sign it, ``in a heartbeat.''

The version of SB 60 that now stirs Davis' heart is actually broader than the one he vetoed less than a year ago. Last year's version required illegal immigrants seeking driver's licenses to apply for legal residency, thus encouraging them to come into compliance with the law. It also required applicants to document that they've lived in California for 15 months.

Now, having rejected a stricter law as too lax, Davis embraces a laxer one without question - insisting that this has nothing to do with politics.

What this really has nothing to do with is sound policy.

While many people would disagree, the case can be made that there are some good reasons to consider granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants:

It would take some untrained and uninsured drivers off the road, thus making driving safer and insurance less expensive for all.

It would allow the state to get addresses, photographs and thumb prints of otherwise ``invisible'' residents, thereby helping to clean the bureaucratic mess that the nation's broken immigration policy has made.

And it would protect the state's immigrants from the exploitation to which, absent legal documentation, they're all too vulnerable.

It's clear that the state can't deport all immigrants who are here illegally, just as it's clear that those same immigrants are going to continue to drive here illegally - if they have no other choice.

But if the state is going to start offering driver's licenses to illegal residents, it needs to proceed cautiously, paying close attention to the potential security risks. It also needs to create steep penalties for all who would drive without license or insurance.

This is a policy that needs careful, not political consideration, from a governor interested in protecting all Californians - not just himself.