Brown, Whitman campaign offices as different as their politics

[JI7]

If you can't guess which headquarters is the Democrats' and which is the Republicans', you need to brush up on your political stereotypes. One office is on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills, at the former address of a real-estate firm, tucked between a church and a bank. Its beige-walled cubicles keep the volunteers' minds on their tasks, as do neatly posted instruction sheets and phone-call tallies. Visitors are greeted by a full-time receptionist. This office has been up and running since April.

The rival office is on Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys, in a former video store, next to a pizza joint across a parking lot from a Lucky market. Its open space and long tables encourage volunteers to hobnob, and Groucho Marx and a terrified Janet Leigh survey the scene from a movie mural. Visitors are greeted by a sign instructing, "Please use other door." This office officially opened on Labor Day.

These are rooms with a view obscured by the campaign posters taped to the windows. The Democrats' first act when they moved in was to dismantle the video racks in the middle of the room and cover the racks on the walls with Democratic club banners and candidates' signs. On a Hollywood Walk of Fame-style star, somebody used tape and ink to change the title of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's biggest movie to "The Terminated."

The Republicans filled 20 cubicles with folding tables, $39 each at Wal-Mart. A lot of cleaning-up was required.>

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_16111730?nclick_check=1