Dornan-Robinson Race : Quiet Campaign May Yet Become Political Slugfest

For months, it has been billed as one of the nation’s nastiest and most expensive congressional races--a brawling confrontation in the heart of Orange County between a flamboyant, conservative Republican and a crafty Democratic challenger.

But so far, the contest between U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and Assemblyman Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove) in the 38th Congressional District has been unusually quiet, with only sporadic outbursts and few indications that either side will be setting fund-raising records.

Both candidates agree, however, that it is only a matter of days before a tidal wave of aggressive political mailers begins flooding the district, and the long-awaited race--bruising and intense--finally lives up to advance expectations.

“With these two guys, it’s not a question of whether the fireworks will begin,” said one longtime Orange County political observer. “It’s a question of when . . . and who will be left alive when it’s over.”

Indeed, the battle for the 38th District--a largely blue-collar area including Garden Grove and parts of Anaheim, Buena Park, Santa Ana, Westminster, Stanton, Midway City and Cerritos--has been labeled a top priority nationally by both parties.

Two years ago, Dornan, a former Los Angeles congressman, waged a slashing, $1.1-million campaign and snatched the 38th District seat away from five-term veteran Jerry Patterson. The victory was a smashing comeback for the outspoken, anti-Communist crusader, who earlier had been squeezed out of his coastal district --by a Democratic-sponsored reapportionment plan.

Dornan’s 1984 campaign was funded in part by a direct-mail effort that tapped longtime supporters across the nation, including right-to-life groups, fundamentalist Christian organizations and anti-gun-control associations. He is expected to use the same fund-raising techniques in this election, as well as a personal appeal from President Reagan, and outspend Robinson by a comfortable margin.

Democrats, stung by Patterson’s defeat, vowed to recapture the seat and have been predicting that the race will be one of the nation’s most hotly contested. Yet they face an uphill battle against Dornan, especially since their once solid voter-registration edge over Republicans in the district has dwindled to only seven percentage points.

The 38th District itself is an anomaly--a community of modest single-family homes and apartments that contrasts sharply with the more affluent suburbs of Orange County. While most of the county is white, more than 25% of the district is Latino and nearly 56,000 of its residents live in poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. The area has more Vietnamese residents than any congressional district in the nation.

Democratic leaders believe these demographics give them a shot at ousting Dornan, because they resemble the kind of urban area that traditionally backs their candidates. They have pinned their hopes on Robinson, a 12-year state Assembly veteran whose effective and ruthless political style has made him one of Sacramento’s most skilled insiders. A proven fund-raiser, Robinson collected $900,000 two years ago to retain his seat in an Assembly district--the 72nd--that includes much of the 38th congressional district.

His victory margin in that race, however, was only 256 votes--a reflection of the area’s increasing conservatism and an indication that Robinson’s Assembly days might have been numbered. The 43-year-old legislator also entered this year’s race under the cloud of the statewide scandal surrounding W. Patrick Moriarty, convicted of political corruption. One of Moriarty’s former assistants, Richard Raymond Keith, has said his boss provided prostitutes to Robinson and several other legislators. Robinson has denied the charge by Keith, who is now serving a prison term for mail fraud and income-tax evasion.

Still, Democratic leaders believe Dornan is vulnerable. A key factor, they say, is that Robinson, a moderate to conservative legislator, should be able to deflect charges that he is too liberal for the district--a tactic Dornan used against Patterson two years ago.

More importantly, Democratic leaders point to the involvement of the powerful Waxman-Berman political organization in Robinson’s campaign. Run by Los Angeles Democratic Reps. Howard Berman and Henry Waxman, the influential political operation specializes in computerized mail campaigns and has played a major role in Robinson’s fund-raising efforts here and in Washington.

Last week, for example, Berman and Waxman introduced Robinson to a host of potential donors at several Washington fund-raisers. They urged members of the health-care industry and the labor community to discount the image of Orange County as a right-wing bastion, adding that Robinson had an excellent chance of unseating Dornan. Afterward, a stream of donors came up to the candidate and gave him checks, some promising to make additional contributions.

Targeted Campaign

“The race in the 38th is certainly one of our targeted campaigns . . . one of the races into which we are going to be pouring as many resources as we can,” said Martin Franks, an assistant at the Democratic National Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington.

“Needless to say,” Franks added, “the key issue is Dornan himself.”

During his time in Congress--21 months representing the 38th District and three previous terms as a representative from Los Angeles--Dornan’s belligerent political style has attracted national attention, infuriating many liberals, yet endearing him to conservatives. The red-headed, 53-year-old lawmaker created an uproar in Congress last year, for example, when he scuffled with Rep. Thomas J. Downey (D-N.Y.) on the floor of the House, jerked Downey’s tie and called him a “draft-dodging wimp.”

Later, Dornan was criticized for calling Soviet television commentator Vladimir Posner a “betraying little Jew,” a comment he later said had been a slip of the tongue and was not meant to be anti-Semitic. Dornan also prompted an outcry when he accused House Democrats of opposing defense appropriations, “with your mouths dripping spleen and bile.”

Controversial Travels

Dornan has generated publicity--and stirred controversy--with travels to Syria, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Israel, Costa Rica, El Salvador and other countries in the last two years. He has traveled on behalf of a variety of causes, including support for the contras, freedom for the U.S. hostages in Lebanon and a quest for information about U.S. soldiers still listed as missing in action in Southeast Asia.

A staunch supporter of President Reagan, Dornan claimed his travels have strengthened the Administration’s hand in foreign policy and produced real gains--including the release of Martin Jenco from Lebanese captivity. He bristles at criticism that such trips are inappropriate for a congressman.

“I came here (Washington) to make a difference . . . and I’m not going to be silenced,” Dornan said. “I’ve gone to very difficult places, hardly garden spots of the world. I’ve gone alone, and much of it I’ve paid for by myself.”

Robinson, however, has ridiculed Dornan’s travels, saying these “ballyhooed” expeditions accomplish little and have caused him to neglect the interests of his district. The first responsibility of a congressman, he said, is to deal with problems at home, not to “go off gallivanting through Asia and Central America.”

“Bob spends more time going to and from Nicaragua than he does on the freeway problems of his district,” Robinson charged. “It’s clear the man is obsessed with being the undersecretary of state to the Third World.”

Although his campaign has been slow to start, in part because of a prolonged legislative session in Sacramento, Robinson pledged that he will stress his accomplishments as an assemblyman and point out Dornan’s “record of neglect.” District voters, he added, have been embarrassed by their congressman’s “errors and mistakes.”

Major Bills

During 12 years in Sacramento, Robinson said, he has sponsored major bills on transportation, the state budget, Medi-Cal reform and the courts. Unlike Dornan, Robinson added, he has been able to work constructively with members of the opposing party, including Gov. George Deukmejian. As a congressman, Robinson pledged to “hit the ground running,” focusing on efforts to free up federal transportation funds to help relieve the 38th District’s chronic freeway congestion.

Dornan, however, doesn’t buy the charge that he has neglected district problems. In fact, he said, the issue “plays to my strongest suit.” In less than two years, Dornan said, “I have done more on a variety of problems than my predecessor did in 10 years.”

After years of federal neglect, Dornan said, he helped secure $2.5 million in funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to upgrade and rehabilitate Buena Clinton, a run-down area in Garden Grove known as Orange County’s worst slum. Through his assistance, similar grant funds have been earmarked for Santa Ana, he said.

Dornan said he personally persuaded federal officials to shelve controversial plans to open a halfway house for convicts in Buena Park. In addition, he said, he has actively supported a $900,000 program to synchronize peak-hour traffic flow near Anaheim Stadium. The proposal has been included in the 1986-87 budget “largely through my efforts,” Dornan said.

‘Power Politics’

By contrast, the lawmaker said, Robinson is more enamored of “Sacramento power politics” than solving the problems of the district. “Dick Robinson has spent more time in the restaurants of Sacramento than in the restaurants of the 38th Congressional District,” Dornan said.

Both sides said they plan to emphasize local issues as the campaign heads into its last four weeks. So far, however, the two campaigns have concentrated primarily on charges about whether the candidates have misrepresented their military records.

Both Dornan and Robinson deny they have misled anybody. Robinson stressed that he has no intention of “getting down in the gutter with Bob Dornan.”

Dornan, who in June sent out a mailer blasting Robinson’s links to Moriarty, pledged that he, too, would run an honorable campaign. Yet the Moriarty issue is far from dead, Dornan added, because “the public is very uneasy about prostitutes.”

With less than a month to go, the race is slowly stirring to life. When it does, “the roof’s going to blow,” said George Urch, executive director of the Orange County Democratic Party. “Dornan’s going to get angry . . . Robinson’s going to get angry. Believe me, it’s going to get pretty rough.”