The Escalating Ad War

It began with images of a Barbie doll and a comfortable residential neighborhood. But the Los Angeles mayor’s race ad war has since turned ugly. A Times examination of the ads has found that both sides have exaggerated claims. Here is a guide to the latest crop of TV commercials.

THE WOO ADS

* Riordan as a tool of the religious right--The ad opens with a picture of televangelist Pat Robertson. “Pat Robertson and his right-wing fundamentalist Christian Coalition: banning textbooks, against a woman’s right to choose,” a narrator says. “They took over the Republican convention. Now, according to the L.A. Times, they’re working for Dick Riordan.”

* The analysis: The Times has never reported that the Christian Coalition is working for Riordan. A May 1 Times article written by the Religious News Service paraphrased Ralph Reed, national director of the Chesapeake, Va.-based Christian Coalition founded by Robertson as saying that the coalition is actively involved in election campaigns, including the Los Angeles mayoral contest. Neither Riordan nor Woo was mentioned in the article. On May 3, Reed told The Times that his organization is not involved in any campaign but had distributed nonpartisan, issue-oriented voter guides to churches during the primary. Sara DiVito Hardman, California director of the Christian Coalition, acknowledged that she personally supports Riordan and has worked in the campaign office. But she said she is no more than a volunteer.

* Riordan as an opponent of abortion rights: “Can we trust Dick Riordan?” a narrator asks. “You decide.” The ad shows Riordan, who says: “I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-choice. I’m pro-choice.” The narrator says: “That’s what Dick Riordan says now. But two years ago, this is what Dick Riordan had to say.” The ad shows Riordan saying: “I surprise myself with my emotions on the abortion issue because I feel very . . . I think it’s murder.”

* The analysis: Riordan, who made a $10,000 contribution to an anti-abortion-rights group in 1991, has also contributed to political candidates who favor abortion rights and insists that he favors a woman’s right to choose. Commenting on the 1991 interview in which he said abortion was murder, Riordan said: “I have said all along that I don’t favor abortion. But I am for the right of every woman to make a choice with respect to her own body. And as mayor, I will support the laws that give women free access to clinics so they can exercise that choice.”

* Woo and guns: While picturing Riordan, a narrator says: “One candidate for mayor talks tough.” It then shows Woo, as the narrator says: “But the other has the strength of his convictions. Mike Woo: To make L.A. safe, he’ll get deadly handguns off the streets.”

* The analysis: Although Woo promises to “get deadly handguns off the street,” city lawyers have cast doubt on whether the city has any power to regulate handguns. That, they say, falls under the jurisdiction of the state Legislature.

THE RIORDAN ADS

* Riordan as job creator: A narrator says: “Dick Riordan’s helped create 77,0000 jobs for working families; 77,000 opportunities; 77,000 dreams. Mike Woo hasn’t created a single job in his lifetime. Until we bring work back to L.A., we can’t bring hope back to our people.”

* The analysis: A Times analysis of a Riordan mailer in which the candidate says he created “over 75,000 jobs” concluded that the figure was inflated because it credited Riordan with the performance of companies in which he held as little as 1% interest. It also credited him for jobs created before he invested.

* Woo as ineffective councilman: The ad shows a woman walking nervously down a dark alley. “Twelve hundred women raped in Hollywood since 1985,” the narrator says. “Mike Woo voted 27 times against police officers and equipment. Under Mike Woo, murders in Hollywood are up 53%. Woo opposes the death penalty. Assaults doubled under Mike Woo’s tenure. Councilman Woo allowed cuts in L.A.’s police force from 8,400 officers to only 7,600.”

* The analysis: Police statistics show there were more than 1,200 rapes in Hollywood from 1985 through 1992, but the general trend in reported rape has been downward, even as the population has grown. In 1985, there were 187 rapes. There were 133 in 1992. Between the time Woo took office in 1985 and last year, homicides in the Hollywood Division increased at nearly double the citywide rate. Aggravated assaults doubled--about the same as the citywide rate. Woo opposes the death penalty, but neither the City Council nor the mayor has any power on that issue. Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who led efforts in the mid-1980s to build up the LAPD, said Woo was among his supporters.

* The Mattel letter: The ad opens with the title: “An Open Letter to Michael Woo From Mattel Corp.” A narrator reads: “We at Mattel Toys take great exception to your current television advertising, which is patently false and deceptive. Your charges are an affront to the 1,600 Mattel employees who are based in Southern California. We take no position with regard to the mayoral race.” The only reference to Riordan appears at the end with the required notice, “Paid for by Riordan for mayor.”

* The analysis: Woo has accused Riordan of doing away with 1,300 jobs at Mattel, sending them to Mexico. Mattel’s records show that while Riordan served on the board, the toy company reduced its worldwide work force by 2,500. Mattel officials say they eliminated about 800 jobs in Southern California while Riordan was on the board. Although Mattel says it has taken no position on the mayoral race, the toy company and its chairman contributed to Riordan. But company spokesman said a contribution also was recently made to Woo.