STATE GOP SUPPORTS GOVERNOR CRITICAL RESOLUTIONS REJECTED AS MOST STRESS PARTY UNITY.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

SAN JOSE - Dissident Republicans' efforts to criticize Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and withdraw the party's endorsement fell flat Saturday at the party's state convention.

Most delegates stressed unity, even among those who disagree with the governor's actions on issues such as his multibillion-dollar borrowing plan, judicial appointments and hiring a Democrat as his chief of staff.

``If every candidate doesn't agree on every issue, let us also remember (former President Ronald) Reagan's wise words that anyone who's with you 80 percent of the time is your 80 percent friend, not your 20 percent enemy,'' said Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, a stalwart of the party's conservative wing.

``I don't agree with my wife on absolutely everything but I still love her,'' McClintock said in a luncheon address to 500 party members. ``And I don't agree with the governor on absolutely everything, but I still support him.''

The party's resolutions committee overwhelmingly shot down four resolutions critical of the governor and his policies, though it approved a fifth urging him to appoint more Republican judges.

McClintock ran against Schwarzenegger in the 2003 recall, but has now formed a partnership with him as the party's only candidate for lieutenant governor. Bumper stickers, signs and T-shirts proclaiming ``Arnold & Tom, Victory '06'' dotted the convention.

Still, some conservatives remained outspoken in their disappointment with the governor, citing his support of a minimum wage increase; his failure to appoint more Republican judges; his hiring of Democrat Susan Kennedy as chief of staff; his plans to borrow $68 billion to fund his infrastructure plan; and his failure to eliminate the budget deficit.

``The conservatives have become increasingly more disturbed,'' said Michael Schroeder, a former party chairman who led an unsuccessful effort to get the party to pull its endorsement of Schwarzenegger.

``This governor got a free pass from conservatives for two years because of the recall and because of the euphoria of the idea that we have a Republican instead of a Democrat. But that party is over.''

Schroeder predicted the governor could lose votes from 5 to 15 percent of Republicans in the November election if he continues to maintain the policies they dislike.

Without a viable conservative alternative, he said, conservative voters would simply stay home on Election Day, after declining to make phone calls, stamp envelopes and do the other volunteer work needed during the campaign.

Under a deal with the dissidents, two of the three rejected measures will be discussed in the party's general session today, though they would need a two-thirds vote to be approved against the committee's recommendation.

Party leaders dismissed the dissidents as a small fringe, not representative of the overwhelming majority of Republicans. State party chairman Duf Sundheim said the dissidents didn't represent many people beyond the half-dozen or so who held a press conference after the committee vote.

``There may be other individuals, but if you're (asking) whether the views represented out there represent a significant percentage of the delegates or the party, absolutely not,'' Sundheim said.

The group speaking against the governor included representatives of the California Republican Lawyers Association, the California Republican Assembly, the Young Republicans Federation of California, Young Americans for Freedom and former state party chairmen.

Schwarzenegger also made a pitch for party unity during his keynote speech to 650 party members Friday night. He first thanked the volunteers who have been active in Republican causes and helped him with his unsuccessful special election effort last year.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com