McCarthy Visits L.A. Loyalists as Part of Get-Out-Vote Drive

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Leo T. McCarthy, pinning his hopes for victory on a massive Democratic Party get-out-the-vote drive, traveled around Los Angeles on Tuesday speaking to small groups of loyal supporters.

With the election seven days away, Lt. Gov. McCarthy delivered his campaign message to the true believers--the union leaders and party precinct captains he is relying on to mobilize voters and help him oust Republican Sen. Pete Wilson.

Throughout the day, McCarthy stressed his campaign theme that he would represent the working people of California. And he repeatedly criticized Wilson for voting on the Senate floor to reduce income taxes for the wealthiest Americans as part of the federal tax overhaul of 1986.

“This election is about whether or not California will have leaders in Washington, D.C., who will make the difference for working families,” McCarthy told about 60 leaders and members of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners during a visit to the union’s offices.

Light Schedule

Although McCarthy is badly outspent and trailing in public opinion polls, his campaign schedule for the day was light. Rather than arranging for the candidate to speak before a large audience of undecided voters, McCarthy’s staff set aside plenty of time for him to get on the telephone and call potential contributors in a last-ditch effort to raise money for television advertising time.

“I’d rather be doing a lot more direct public contact, but Pete Wilson started fund raising in 1983,” McCarthy told reporters during a lunch stop at Juniors.

It was clear from his brief appearances Tuesday that McCarthy is banking on the Democratic Party get-out-the-vote drive to put him over the top next Tuesday.

The mobilization, the largest of its kind ever launched in California, is targeting 800,000 Democrats identified either as swing voters or as voters who do not always cast ballots. Party activists say thousands of paid staff members and volunteers have joined in the effort up and down the state to promote the Dukakis-Bentsen presidential ticket and McCarthy.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am at what you’re doing,” McCarthy told about 50 workers at the Democratic Party headquarters in West Los Angeles. “I’ve never seen anything like this in 24 years in public office.”

In some respects, McCarthy’s activities represented a retrenchment of his campaign as he turned to groups like organized labor that are among his strongest supporters.

The lieutenant governor received a warm welcome from the leaders and members of the carpenters union who are heavily involved in the Democratic mobilization.