Political Powerhouse Will Put More Punch in Her PAC

The social-political world shakes a little next month, when Washington political powerhouse Pamela Harriman brings her fund-raising efforts west.

Here next week, she’ll be ironing out details for the June 22 Century Park Tower $1,000-a-head dinner--the first big Los Angeles effort by the wife of Averell Harriman. It will feature Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee and benefits Senate Majority 86, a project of her political-action committee, Democrats for the Eighties. The PAC gives more money directly to candidates than any other independent PAC in the country--$900,000 last year--and has Mayor Tom Bradley and former DNC chairman Charles Manatt on its board. A caution--if you try to call the PAC’s number, listed in the Washington phone book as (202) 965-1984, a recording announces that calls are being taken by 965-1985. Ah, always au courant.

NO SURPRISE--It could be the town’s best party. Big-ticket tables laden with the biggest names in show biz. On stage, the SHARE ladies, whose work earns $1 million for their charities. Twentieth Century Fox’s Marvin and Barbara Davis, Ruth and Milton Berle, Dolores Hope (Bob was backstage) and TV Guide’s Wallis Annenberg with screenwriter Gerry Ayres were among the 500 who paid $400 each to dine on barbecue, then watch Hope, a much-thinner Nell Carter, Steve-n-Eydie (as they are called in these parts), Lionel Richie, hot new comedian Steven Wright, Kenny Rogers and Dottie West make the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium into Vegas West. Not fancy, just cowboy clothes--although an Austin import, Posy Lindauer, was in “authentic Texan,” with a mink vest atop jeans and boots. And enough big diamonds shone on tiny little hands holding barbecued ribs to make a Gabor jealous.

Helping to make up the $1 million was a $100-a-ticket raffle (three prizes were cars). The Davises had contributed heavily and even bought raffle tickets. For all the money he’s contributed over the years, he’s only won a single prize, Davis related. In a raffle in Denver, he won a motorcycle--which he turned back and let them re-raffle. The highlight of the evening--perhaps a chorus line of SHARE hubbies, singing “We Ain’t Getting Our Share.” And who was the 10-gallon guy on the far left--Ken Murray, whose wife Bette Lou Murray was hoofing and singing along with Joanna Carson, Sandy Moss, Edye Rugolo, Neile McQueen Toffel, Marianne Rogers, Altovise Davis, Lorna Luft (whose pictures don’t do her justice), Judy Feder, Shera Danese (formerly Falk) and Pam Korman.

IT’S ALL RELATIVE--Barbara Davis, of course, puts on the annual Denver extravaganza charity, the Carousel Ball, benefiting Juvenile Diabetes, and set this year for Oct. 12. Last year she raised about $2.7 million. This year? “We’ll probably raise $2.7 million.” The tiny blonde explained: “It’s just about impossible to raise more than $2.7 million in one night.” Don’t we know it.

KUDOS--Danny Kaye went to the University of South Carolina to pick up his Doctor of Humane Letters and make a commencement address. “I’m delighted to receive this degree . . . when I send a thank-you letter, we’ll see how humane this university is because I will ask for a contribution to UNICEF.” In the audience was retired Gen. William C. Westmoreland, whose son was graduating from the law school. The general reminisced about the troop visits Kaye had made to Vietnam.

TOP-FLIGHT FORMERS--Former U.S. Ambassador and current prospective candidate Jeane J. Kirkpatrick will be here this week, giving the commencement address at Whittier College. A former ambassador--Iranian Ardeshir Zahedi--was hosted for dinner at Jimmy’s by former Atty. Gen. William French Smith. Making up the heavy-hitter table were Jean Smith, Lew and Edie Wasserman, Kirk and Anne Douglas and Eva Gabor.

DINING OUT--Ethel Kennedy lunched this week at the Bistro Garden and then dined at Morton’s, hosted by Don Klosterman and wife, along with Jane Fonda, her assemblyman spouse Tom Hayden and several Kennedy children. The widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, she was in town to dedicate the former Hawthorne Community Center as R.F.K. Medical Center. She got a big lunchtime greeting at the Bistro Garden from the Senior Former Gov. Edmund G. Brown, lunching there with pal Pete Summers. Leaving, Brown quipped: “Wanna see a good-looking guy?” and then pulled out a 3x5 of his son, the Junior Former Gov. Brown, apparently giving a speech. Walking through his garden, greeting and kissing, the Bistro’s Kurt Niklas paused to wipe a large lipstick smear from his cheek. “Occupational hazard,” explained the restaurateur.

MORE JUNIOR--A great Jerry Brown story making the rounds up north. Seems Brown was driven between an airport conference and a meeting with Robert Bellah, principal author of “Habits of the Heart” by S.F. attorney-futurist James Haas. On the return trip, Haas’ car had a flat. The two walked along the freeway for a couple yards, and suddenly an old boat of a car stopped. “Didn’t you used to be the governor,” the driver asked, then agreed to drive Brown to the airport. And, as soon as Haas gave $10 to the Junior Former (who’d forgotten his wallet) he was sped on his way, while Haas waited with the flat. Guess it was lots easier with a state police driver--even if it was only an old blue Plymouth.

CELEBRATION--It’s a bring-your-own picnic lunch Saturday when Canon Oliver Garver is ordained and consecrated as bishop in the Episcopal Church at Pauley Pavilion. The mix is appropriate since Canon Garver (who served eight years in East L.A. at Church of the Epiphany) is a well-known UCLA fan with enough friends around the city to pack three pavilions. He will serve as the Suffragan Bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

AHA--The mystery of the Rose Elizabeth Bird button, the attractive picture of the State Supreme Court Chief Justice, might be solved. It was first spotted on Shelly Palm, the attorney from the Exceptional Children’s Foundation, as she was dining in Lucy’s El Adobe. And it was written about here, prompting a call from her campaign, the Committee to Conserve the Courts. They didn’t know anything about it. OK. The button maker is Morris Polin (in daytime hours the university librarian at Cal State L.A.), a longtime fan of Bird’s. Seems he just dreamed up the buttons, had them made up at his own expense. No surprise to anyone knowing Maury’s longtime commitment to liberal causes.

AU REVOIR--The dynamic Spago cooking couple--chef Mark Peel and pastry chef Nancy Silverton--are leaving for the Big Apple. Peel was the first person hired at Spago. And the first person he recruited was Silverton. He didn’t know her then, but they are now married with two kids. They’ll leave Spago in early summer and take over at Maxwell Plum in September. They--and their food--will be missed. Her dessert cookbook will be out next year, published by Harper & Row.

QUICK, CALL CLIFF ROBERTSON--When publicist Josh Baran opened his new office in Century City this week, something happened to his listing in the telephone company’s computer. Seems as though his number showed up when information operators sought towing companies, then mortuaries. Then hospitals. Hundreds of calls came into Baran’s office in the first few hours--including some from people wanting to sign up for new telephone service. He told them not to bother.

MATCHING MAUVE--When the RTD’s Nick Patsaouras hosted a $500-a-head lunch for Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson this week at Ma Maison, Patrick Terrail served up a first course of bunches of tiny asparagus in a mauve sauce. Patsaouras managed to match, with his mauve-tinged necktie and pocket handkerchief.

ANCHORS AWAY--Chances look much better for San Francisco in the race to get the refurbished battleship Missouri to be home-based there. Although S.F. was running a poor second to Honolulu as home port for the ship, S.F. insiders say that Sen. Pete Wilson has waged such an effective campaign that U.S. Navy Secretary John Lehman is now supposed to give The City the nod. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger makes the final decision.

BUT OF COURSE--A well-dressed woman stood on the corner of La Cienega and Wilshire one recent night. She held a huge, hand-lettered sign, reading “David, don’t leave town without talking to me. Call Leroy for my home phone number.” It seemed odd, but the woman said she was holding up the sign at that busy corner “because David drives this way around this time of day.”

GOOMIES--They are not the creatures in Stephen Spielberg’s new film. That’s “The Goonies,” with an N. No, Goomies, with an M , are the skinny plastic bracelets in bright colors that little kids are suddenly wearing in great bunches. The cost for each bauble? About 20 cents.