With Donors Like That, Who Needs Enemies?

Tricia Hunter’s pro-choice stance on abortion has proved a double-edged sword in her campaign in the 76th Assembly District.

It rallied feminists and Democrats to her upstart candidacy. Indeed, crossover votes from the latter may have been responsible for her winning the Republican primary over two better-known opponents.

But she has also been targeted for defeat in Tuesday’s runoff by members of the anti-abortion movement, who are helping write-in candidate Dick Lyles.

And now Hunter has learned that being seen as supportive of the

lucrative abortion industry and its practitioners presents additional political liabilities.

Hunter said Thursday that she will return a $1,000 contribution from a Los Angeles doctor specializing in abortions who twice has had his medical license suspended.

On Wednesday afternoon, she had said she was unaware of the Aug. 13 contribution from Dr. Leo F. Kenneally. By Thursday morning, after conferring with her political consultant, she had decided to return the money.

“I feel very strongly about the privileges of having a (medical) license and the moral and ethical things that fall around that,” said Hunter, a nurse. “I am concerned about someone who has had his license suspended twice.”

Kenneally was convicted in 1975 of federal narcotics record-keeping violations. In 1979 he pleaded guilty to overbilling Medi-Cal and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.

His medical license was suspended both times, but in each case the suspension was stayed and Kenneally was placed on probation.

The Bureau of Medical Quality Assurance recently completed a lengthy investigation into complaints of shoddy care at one of three abortion clinics, called Her Medical Clinic, that Kenneally runs in minority neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The bureau sent its findings to the state attorney general for possible action against Kenneally and others.

Also, damage suits have been filed by the families of three young women who died after abortions at Her Medical Clinic.

Hunter, president of the State Nursing Board, said it is unreasonable to expect her campaign volunteers to research the background of her contributors.

She said she had never heard of Kenneally or the controversy. “There is no way I could have known it,” she said.

Go Ahead, Hack Away

Like ants to a picnic, computer hackers are drawn to the super-secret computer systems used by government and business. So an industry within an industry has developed: computer security.

LeeMah DataCom Security Corp., a Hayward firm, figures it’s finally found a way to thwart the systemic snoops.

At this week’s Tele-Communication Assn. trade show in Mission Valley, LeeMah caused a stir among its competitors by announcing its Hacker Challenge.

Any hacker who can penetrate LeeMah’s TraqNet computer system and retrieve a secret phrase will win a free trip to Tahiti or St. Moritz.

LeeMah is even willing to disclose the system’s phone number and password in advance. The contest runs Oct. 9-15.

Why that week? Because it has a Friday the 13th, a favorite time for hackers to strike.

Fanny Packs Too?

Here and there:

- For as long as anyone remembers, Marines at Camp Pendleton and the Recruit Depot in San Diego have worn red gym shorts when they go running.

Starting in July, red is out. Marine Corps headquarters at Quantico, Va., has decreed that all runners will wear olive drab shorts.

One reason: better camouflage. Presumably in case the next combat landing is launched by the Fighting 101st Joggers.

- Word is that Joan Kroc was “furious” over manager Jack McKeon’s fateful decision in the 13th inning Wednesday night not to intentionally walk Eric Davis, who promptly hit the run-scoring double that ended the Padres’ season.

- Just like old times.

Roger Hedgecock subpoenaed to a criminal trial about ill-gotten money. Reporters packing the courtroom.

Hedgecock telling whoppers. Like this one: The appeals court overturned his conviction.