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SACRAMENTO — Despite speculation that President Bush would brush off the Golden State after his overwhelming loss here, he has tapped several Californians to serve in his administration – from national security adviser to top technology posts. 

Three of the Republican’s Cabinet members hail from California – more than any other state including Texas. 

Among them: Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi. 

A former Stanford University provost, Condoleeza Rice, is Bush’s national security adviser. And at least a dozen other Californians have headed to high-profile White House posts. 

After Bush lost California’s 54 electoral votes to Democrat Al Gore despite spending more time and money campaigning here, some political observers predicted the state would lose the VIP treatment it got from the Clinton administration and have to fight for federal spending including transportation money, disaster relief and defense contracts. 

“California was good to President Clinton and President Clinton was good to California,” said Steve Maviglio, spokesman for Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. “Whenever the governor asked, he came through.” 

While the verdict is still out on the Bush administration, Maviglio said having Californians in top policy positions is key. 

“That’s all important – being able to make our case whenever possible and getting in the front of the line for funding,” he said. 

Despite California’s Democratic leanings – Democrats hold legislative majorities and every statewide office except secretary of state – there are several political reasons Bush cannot afford to shun the nation’s most populous state. 

California is a source of lucrative campaign donations and rising numbers of Latino voters, is a battleground in the fight over House and Senate majorities and has the most electoral votes. 

“Ignore California and do so at your own peril,” said Harry Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at Claremont Graduate University. 

A pair of coups came when Bush named Veneman as secretary of agriculture, the state’s largest industry, and Mineta to oversee transportation, one of California’s most pressing issues. 

Now in particular, California may need help from Washington. 

The state is reeling from an energy crisis that includes the nation’s highest natural gas costs, high wholesale electricity prices and a tight power supply that has led to rolling blackouts four times this year. 

“I imagine right now California wishes that they had the secretary of energy,” said David Lanoue, a political science professor at Texas Tech University. 

Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who has joined Davis in unsuccessfully pushing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to cap the West’s wholesale power prices, said the Bush administration is giving the state the cold shoulder on energy. 

She criticized Bush’s appointments of two allies from Texas and Pennsylvania to FERC and called a March 27 meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney “disappointing.” 

“There was really no overture. No ’We’re here to help. We’re here to listen to you,”’ Feinstein said after the meeting. 

And despite Davis’ urging, Bush refused to extend emergency federal orders requiring natural gas and electricity wholesalers to continue selling to California despite concerns about the ability of its two largest utilities, both nearly bankrupt, to pay for it. 

Democratic leaders, facing Republican attempts to pin blame for the energy problems on Davis and other top Democrats, spent much of the party’s state convention last weekend bashing Bush. 

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said the president “has told California to drop dead” regarding energy. 

White House spokesman Ken Lisaius countered that Bush has tried to help the state, including issuing orders easing the construction of new power plants and forming an energy task force led by Cheney. 

“The administration is, to the extent that it can in a situation like this, doing what it can to help California,” he said. 

He said earlier that Bush chose appointees he has faith in. 

Suggestions that Bush might ignore California are “misplaced fears,” Lisaius said: “The president is the president for all 50 states.” 

Despite disagreement on energy, Maviglio said Bush has been mostly receptive to the governor. 

First lady Laura Bush made California the site of her first official trip. And Bush’s appointments – coupled with his inclusion of funding for a key California water pact in his budget plan – hint that the state won’t be ignored. 

Silicon Valley executives form the backbone of Bush’s high-tech team. 

California venture capitalist Floyd Kvamme is an adviser on science and technology policy. 

Bush also brought in Ruben Barrales, who headed a high-tech nonprofit community and business group, to head the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Lezlee Westine, former co-CEO of TechNet, a network of about 250 high-tech executives, as director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. 

“The president clearly understands the importance of technology and the new economy,” Barrales said. 

Bush also hired several high-profile Hispanic Republicans from California. 

They include Barrales; Los Angeles businessman Hector Barreto to head the Small Business Association; and former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Noelia Rodriguez, Laura Bush’s press secretary. 

Political scientists say the appointments reflect Hispanics’ growing visibility in politics and an effort to woo Latino voters. 

Many Latino appointees will likely campaign in California for Bush’s re-election, Pachon said. 

Democratic strategists reject the idea that the Bush presidency alone can improve the GOP’s standing with California voters. 

“No Republican party that is anti-choice, anti-public education, anti-environment is going to make any inroads in California other than with the hard-core right-wing,” Democratic spokesman Bob Mulholland said. 

The Brookings Institution is keeping track of Bush appointments at http://www.brook.edu/ 

APPOINTEES 

• Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. The Sacramento attorney, a Modesto native, was California’s agriculture director from 1995-January 1999, appointed by then-Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. 

• Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. The former Clinton administration commerce secretary is the first Cabinet member to go directly from a Democratic president’s Cabinet to a Republican’s.  

• Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, a Vietnam veteran and attorney from San Diego. He has served as deputy secretary and counsel to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. 

• National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, a Stanford University professor and former adviser to the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the administration of Bush’s father. 

• Small Business Association Administrator Hector Barreto. The Glendale resident is president of Barreto Insurance and Financial Services in Los Angeles and serves on the board of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. 

• Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Ruben Barrales. He headed a nonprofit community and business group called Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. 

• Presidential adviser on science and technology policy Floyd Kvamme, a California venture capitalist. 

• Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison Lezlee Westine, former co-CEO of TechNet, a network of about 250 high-tech executives. 

• French Ambassador Howard Leach, a San Francisco banker, Republican donor and former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. 

• First lady Laura Bush’s press secretary, Noelia Rodriguez. Rodriguez served as deputy mayor under Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.  

• Margita Thompson, spokeswoman for Vice President Dick Cheney’s wife, Lynne Cheney. Thompson was a California spokeswoman for Bush’s campaign. 

• Brian Jones, nominated as general counsel at the Department of Education. Jones is a San Francisco attorney who served as then-Gov. Wilson’s deputy legal affairs secretary. 

• Patricia Lynn Scarlett, president of the Reason Foundation in Los Angeles, nominated as assistant interior secretary for policy, management and budget.