Frank Drebin

**Franklin "Frank" Drebin** (11 February 1926 – 28 November 2010) was an American Republican politician and former LAPD detective who served as a U.S. Senator from California from 1977 until 1991. He then served as Governor of California from 1991 until 1999.

Drebin served under the Police Squad for many years, a special department of the LAPD, where he was characterized as a "detective with a heart of gold and a brain of wood". In 1976, with a strong dislike of what he perceived as the Democratic Party's incompetence and poor candidate quality. In a race against incumbent Democrat John V. Tunney, Drebin attacked Tunney on Democratic integrity. Despite numerous gaffes during the campaign, Drebin handingly defeated Tunney in the race, even as Democrat Robert Byrd took the White House against incumbent Republican William Scranton.

As U.S. Senator, Drebin introduced tough-on-crime & environmental protection legislation through Congress, greatly increasing federal funding for police departments throughout the United States. He was criticized for wasteful spending often by his more conservative colleagues, but with the support of more senior Republicans such as Ted Stevens and George H.W. Bush, Drebin won appointments to the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee once Stevens became chair in 1983, and the Senate Intelligence Committee once Bush became chair in 1981. Drebin won re-election by what was once again a larger than expected margin in 1982 against Governor Jerry Brown, who was predicted to defeat Drebin by most polls conducted both within and without direct Californian sources.

Drebin was ranked as the most popular Senator by his colleagues in 1985, and was mentioned often for a run for higher office. Drebin turned down calls to run for Senate Majority Whip in 1983 and Senate Majority Leader in 1985, fearing it would take up too much time. While serving, Drebin remained on the force, only retiring upon becoming Governor. Drebin won in a landslide in 1988 against Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy in spite of a lack of campaigning due to police duties, ultimately leading to a 1988 scandal where Drebin embarassed Queen Elizabeth II of England on live TV in an attempt to save her life.

In 1990, Drebin won the Republican nomination for Governor and won the general election, defeating Attorney General John Van de Kamp, the Democratic nominee. Drebin's time as Governor was more controversial, with Drebin passing many new laws relating to funding for police work and crime prevention. Drebin's gaffes became more apparent during his tenure as Governor. Later victorious Presidential nominee Joe Biden briefly considered Drebin for his running mate in 1992, but ultimately chose New York U.S. Senator Jack Kemp due to Drebin's common gaffes and 1988 scandal.

Drebin died at the age of 84 on November 28, 2010, in a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a battle with pneumonia.

## 1988 scandal

While on service, Drebin received reports of a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. As he investigated, Drebin received leads that businessman Vincent Ludwig was behind the plot. At an event where Ludwig hosted the Queen, Ludwig brandished a Revolutionary War musket rifle at the Queen to present it to her. Drebin, who was secretly present at the event, mistook this as Ludwig preparing to fire on the Queen, and jumped on the table, sliding across on top of the Queen. After large media duress, Drebin was proven right when Ludwig used a mind control device to control one of the players, Angels outfielder Reggie Jackson, at a game between the California Angels and Seattle Mariners. After impersonating famous opera singer Enrico Pallazzo, Drebin umpired the game while searching the players and failing to find any weapons on them.

As Jackson prepared to fire on the Queen, Drebin fired a tranquilizer dart and missed, hitting an obese woman in a higher stand who toppled over and landed on top of Jackson, thwarting the attempt. Ludwig ran with Drebin's soon-to-be wife, Jane, at gun point as Drebin received thanks for saving the Queen, but Drebin fired a dart at Ludwig. Ludwig toppled over the viewing balcony and onto the road below, where he was ran over and flattened by a concrete roller, trambled by elephants, and then finally walked over by a marching band. However, the device was triggered, hypnotising Jane and causing her to raise a firearm to attempt to kill Drebin. On live TV, Drebin snapped Jane out of the trance by telling her how much he loved her and proposing to her.

The scandal quickly turned into Drebin's favor, and he won re-election by a landslide margin later that year after fending off a primary challenge by the conservative Pete Wilson.