SEC chair on the mend

Surgery to remove a tumor from Chris Cox’s thymus is successful; Campbell weighs in on new House leader.Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Chris Cox’s Monday surgery to remove a tumor was carried out successfully in Washington, D.C. A Cox spokesman said Monday in a statement, “The surgery has been completed and hospitalization is expected to last just a few days.�

Cox, 53, was Newport Beach’s congressman for 17 years. He left in August to head the commission, an appointment that surprised many but was considered a logical punctuation mark to end his congressional career.

Last week, his office announced he would have surgery to remove a thymoma, or a tumor on the thymus gland. Cox is expected to return to work in mid-February.

He seems to have settled easily into his new role. His past career as a corporate lawyer made some wary that he’d put businesses’ whims ahead of investors’ concerns, but Cox has won raves since taking over the Securities and Exchange Commission.

One major initiative is an aggressive plan to get companies to disclose CEOs’ pay and benefit packages.

The press has been kind, and attentive. A December profile in Fortune magazine referred to his “white, toothy grin� and “almost Reaganesque� manner, and a January piece in Business Week points out his consensus-building abilities and recent “investor-friendly moves.�

Campbell backs Blunt for leadership post

House Republicans vote at noon today on who will replace Tom DeLay as majority leader, and Newport Beach Rep. John Campbell has picked his man. Campbell decided to back Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri, one of three candidates for the post. In typical Campbell style, he used a sports analogy to explain his choice -- he said Blunt is the necessary coach “that can make people block and tackle.�

“We have to retain our majority and deliver the majority on votes, and I think that Roy Blunt has shown the ability to deliver that majority on votes,� he said.

As the newest member of Congress, Campbell was somewhat awed by Tuesday’s State of the Union address, but he took it in stride. A few of President Bush’s proposals had Campbell heartily applauding -- for instance, the plan to decrease U.S dependence on foreign energy sources. Campbell worked on a major solar power initiative in Sacramento.

Campbell said he was pleased to see energy initiatives as a major part of Bush’s speech.

“I thought the president came out swinging,� he said. “I thought, particularly on foreign affairs, he was saying, ‘Look, what we’ve been doing is important. It’s not a fight we picked but beating terrorism is important and we’re winning.’�

Other aspects of the speech gave him pause. He said he’ll cautiously approach new programs that will cost money, and he won’t support a guest worker program until after immigration enforcement is stepped up.

“I’ve been pretty clear that I think we need to do the enforcement of the laws first before we look at new legal forms of immigration, and he [Bush] didn’t make that distinction,� Campbell said.

Harman collects endorsements

After running a low-key state Senate campaign for some weeks, Huntington Beach Republican Assemblyman Tom Harman finally trumpeted some endorsements. Harman is running for the 35th District state Senate seat, which represents Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

Last week he announced he’s backed by Republican Sen. Jim Battin of Riverside County, and Harman campaign consultant Duane Dichiara on Wednesday said he’s also lined up support from state GOP Sens. Dave Cox and Bob Margett, and Assembly members Lynn Daucher, Russ Bogh, Bill Emmerson, Shirley Horton, Bill Maze and George A. Plescia.

Meanwhile, Harman’s Republican opponent Diane Harkey recently unveiled a campaign motor home festooned with her name and Web address. No word yet on what sort of comforts the Harkeymobile boasts inside, though.

Bates hopes seven is her

lucky number in campaign

If the battle for the fifth district Orange County Supervisor’s seat were to be waged between campaign staffers, Pat Bates would have a big leg up. The former assemblywoman on Friday announced seven local officials as co-chairs of her campaign.

Assembly members Mimi Walters, Chuck DeVore and Todd Spitzer, businessmen Wayne Lindholm and John Ben, Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell and retired Assemblywoman and state Sen. Marian Bergeson all have signed on as co-chairs of Bates’ campaign.

How many co-chairs does a campaign really need? A lot, according to consultant Dave Gilliard, who is handling the campaign.

“It’s a big district. She tried to get people from different areas,� Gilliard said. And there’s strength in numbers for several reasons: a good campaign chairperson helps raise money and keeps an ear to the ground for the candidate, and having a lot of co-chairs can send a message, Gilliard said.

“One of the reasons we decided to put it [the announcement] out all at once is to show the opposition this is going to be an uphill battle for them.�