ELECTIONS / 2ND SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT : Burke, Watson Step Up Attacks : Politics: Rivals exchange bitter words in final debate. Campaigns use flyers, phone calls, even ‘human billboards’ to woo voters.

From posting “human billboards” at street corners to sending out a 62-page campaign book, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Diane Watson are bombarding voters with last-minute pitches in what has become a bruising campaign for Los Angeles County supervisor.

Both campaigns have collectively sent out more than a dozen mailers to the South-Central to West Los Angeles district--all designed to arrive in the final, crucial days before the election.

In one of their final face-to-face meetings before Election Day, the candidates on Friday exchanged bitter words in a TV debate.

The sniping was touched off when Burke challenged Watson over her claims that she led legislative efforts to bring more services to heavily black and poor South-Central Los Angeles.

“Who caused this?” Burke said, referring to conditions that led to last spring’s riots. “Where were all those leaders when this deterioration was going on?”

“Where has she been for the last 10 years?” Watson snapped back, alluding to Burke’s absence from political office for the past decade.

Burke then accused Watson of having one of the worst attendance records in Sacramento.

Watson shot back, “Shame on you, Miss Burke. . . . She is distorting my record.”

Watson then said of Burke: “She is from corporate headquarters. She sits on the board of Nestles . . . a company that does business in South Africa.” Watson then turned to Burke and added, “When you throw the mud, you get some on your own hands.”

The pair continued to argue even during a break for a commercial. The debate will air at 11 a.m. Sunday on KTTV Channel 11.

Burke, a former congresswoman, and Watson, a state senator, are running for the 2nd District seat being vacated by retiring Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. The balloting will culminate in the election of the first black supervisor.

The rivals, meanwhile, also stepped up their attacks on each other in mailers that started arriving Friday in the district.

One mailer, appearing in the guise of a newspaper and sent out on Watson’s behalf, sought to minimize the political damage caused by popular Rep. Maxine Waters’ endorsement of Burke. It featured a headline, “Watson Endorses Waters,” a message that Burke’s political handlers say is designed to confuse voters.

The paper titled “Community Democratic Voice” and sent to Democrats also featured a story: “Yvonne Burke endorsed by L.A. Republican Party.” A GOP spokesman said the party has not endorsed any candidate in the race.

Burke was featured in another mailer in the form of a newspaper titled the California Democrat. It urges voters to cast their ballots for “Your Democratic Team: Clinton, Boxer, Feinstein and Burke.” Burke and Watson are both Democrats in the nonpartisan race, but Watson has been endorsed by the county Democratic Party.

Another Watson mailer contains photographs of high-rises in downtown Los Angeles followed by the statement: “Corporate L.A. Big buildings. Downtown powerbrokers. Big interests. This is Yvonne Burke’s Los Angeles.”

In that same mailer, Watson says her “rock-the-boat style will help put the Board of Supervisors back on the side of the people.”

Burke’s campaign, meanwhile, was hastily preparing a flyer that is to be headlined “Diane Watson Uses Dirty Tricks.” The flyer calls attention to a Watson mailer that contains a picture of Burke’s campaign headquarters during last spring’s riots with a sign in front reading “CLOSED.” A closer look at the picture, the flyer says, shows the sign was placed outside the office.

Additionally, Burke sent out a 62-page pamphlet to thousands in the district. It is titled “Brick by Brick: Building a New Los Angeles.”

Meanwhile, at the former Crenshaw district auto showroom that serves as Watson’s campaign headquarters, supporters from organized labor were busy Friday arranging for sound trucks to traverse the district this weekend blaring a message urging voters to cast their ballot for Watson.

“You ever seen a human billboard?” asked Watson campaign manager Jim Franklin. He said the campaign plans to post volunteers on busy streets holding up “Watson for Supervisor” signs.

“We’re going to try everything,” Franklin said.

The Watson campaign also was organizing its get-out-the-vote effort. Final instructions were being given out to those volunteering at phone banks and for precinct walks over the weekend.

And volunteers from unions who have given Watson strong support received Election Day assignments to visit polling places to check whether Watson supporters are turning out. If they don’t, the volunteers are instructed to call or visit the supporters’ homes.

At Burke headquarters in Inglewood, campaign workers were busy stuffing envelopes Friday as campaign manager Herb Wesson called post offices.

“You’ve got to make sure your mail gets out,” Wesson said. Noting that one Burke mailer consists of a packet of several different pieces, he added, “A postman might not want to carry a couple hundred of those things.”

Wesson also was making arrangements for a caravan today in which Burke and Waters are to ride together through the district.