ELECTIONS / L.A. MAYOR : Democrats Can’t Spend $200,000 to Assist Woo

In a major blow to the get-out-the-vote efforts of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Michael Woo, a judge in Sacramento barred the state Democratic Party on Tuesday from spending $200,000 on Woo’s behalf.

The judge’s ruling extends an earlier court order through Election Day--six days away. “We’re handcuffed,” said Bob Mulholland, political director of the state Democratic Party, which filed an appeal Tuesday afternoon.

The party’s participation in the officially nonpartisan city election had been challenged by the California Republican Party, which last week won a temporary restraining order in the case.

Woo, a Democrat who has touted his endorsement from President Clinton, has sought to take advantage of the city’s heavily Democratic registration against Richard Riordan, a Republican backed by former President Ronald Reagan.

The Democratic Party was planning to wage a $200,000 campaign on Woo’s behalf, including three sets of mailers and phone banks. One set of the mailers went out before the court ruling. A second set has been printed and is in a warehouse.

Superior Court Judge Joe S. Gray ruled that political parties are prohibited by the state Constitution from participating in nonpartisan races.

Political analysts said the ruling is a setback for Woo. According to a Times poll published Monday, he and Riordan are tied at 46% among voters likely to go to the polls. On Tuesday, a poll commissioned by television station KCAL Channel 9 and radio station KFWB found that Riordan had a 46%-to-40% lead among likely voters.

Republican consultant Allen Hoffenblum, who is not affiliated with either candidate, said the judge’s order will “put a crimp” in Woo’s get-out-the-vote effort.

“I’m sure the campaign was going to put every dollar it could into mail and TV and hoping the Democratic Party would take care of (getting) out the vote,” Hoffenblum said. “Any time an outside source (such as a judge) makes you change your tactical plans, that creates a significant problem, particularly when it involves a loss of money.”

Another independent political consultant, Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, said: “This election is going to come down to turnout, and what Woo must do . . . is drag out every single possible vote. . . . Had the court allowed the party to go ahead with its plan, it would have been very helpful to Mike Woo.”

“It hurts him, no question,” said independent political consultant Rick Taylor. “If you lose three pieces of mail, it’s going to have a negative impact on your chances. In the boxing world, you would say, he took a solid blow to the body. But he’s still standing.”

But Woo campaign manager Vicky Rideout downplayed the significance of the court ruling: “It’s not going to affect us because we’ve got a get-out-the-vote program in place that’s going to do the job for us.”

State GOP Chairman Tirso del Junco said in a statement that the judge’s order will “allow the Los Angeles mayoral election to be free from the corrupting politics of the Democratic Party political machine.”

The court decision came as the candidates continued their attacks on each other in mailers, TV ads and news conferences.

Riordan joined about 150 supporters outside Woo’s San Fernando Valley campaign headquarters to accuse Woo of smear tactics because the city councilman is repeatedly calling attention to Riordan’s three arrests.

With TV cameras rolling, Riordan partisans waved signs reading, “No More Dirt” and “Hey Mike, What About Hollywood?”

Later in the day, Woo said: “On the one hand, Mr. Riordan says he wants to talk about the real issues. But on the other hand, he’s avoiding the opportunities to talk about the issues.”

Woo repeated his charge that Riordan is ducking debates and noted that his rival turned down an invitation to appear with Woo last Friday on KCET Channel 28 and Tuesday evening on KABC Channel 7. Riordan declined, citing scheduling conflicts both times. Tuesday night, Riordan was attending a private fund-raiser at Bob Hope’s home, the Riordan campaign said.

Riordan spokesman Joe Scott said the candidate was available to make an appearance on Channel 7 tonight. But when told that the station planned to invite Woo back for a debate, Scott said, “That’s another question.” He added, “We’ve agreed to a number of debates. Those are the only debates we are agreeing to.”

The candidates have not yet faced each other on live television during the general election campaign. On Saturday, they are scheduled to meet in the first such debate on KTTV Channel 11, from 6 to 7 p.m. They will appear on KCOP Channel 13 on Sunday from 9 to 10 p.m.

The closest the candidates got to each other Tuesday was when they arrived at a luncheon sponsored by the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. and the United Chambers of Commerce. But they were in separate rooms throughout the luncheon. Riordan ate lunch in the lobby, while Woo delivered his speech.

A spokeswoman for the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. said that one of the campaigns--she could not remember which--had requested that the candidates be kept apart. Both campaigns denied this statement.

Woo received no applause when he was introduced, while Riordan drew cheers from the audience of 250, most of them business owners, when he entered the ballroom of the Warner Center Marriott Hotel.

Woo received some applause--perhaps his loudest--when he talked about his proposal to ban cheap handguns known as Saturday night specials.

Both candidates pledged to give the Valley a greater voice at City Hall through commission appointments. Woo also promised that if he is elected he will try to get the City Council to meet once a week in the Valley.

At the end of the luncheon, a reporter asked Riordan if he has a drinking problem, in light of his three alcohol-related arrests between 1964 and 1975.

“I’ve never had any major problems,” Riordan said, quickly adding, “I did one or two times.” He described himself as a “very small social drinker.”

In the battle of endorsements, Riordan staged a news conference at an automated teller machine that had been the scene of a killing. He received the endorsement of another police group, the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs.

Woo received the endorsement of a number of prominent Jewish community leaders, including county Supervisor Ed Edelman, Rabbi Allen Freehling, Assemblyman Terry Friedman (D-Brentwood) and former Rep. Mel Levine.