<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Rohrabacher Seeks to Help Candidates Match Opponents’ War Chests

Playground for the rich?: Seeking to level the campaign playing field between multimillionaire candidates and those less wealthy, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) has offered a solution: If a candidate spends $1 million of his or her own money, Rohrabacher’s bill would allow the opponent to solicit contributions of $10,000 from 100 contributors, $100,000 from 10 contributors, “or even $1 million from any legal source of contributions.”

“This is not just aimed at Mike Huffington,” Rohrabacher said, referring to the Republican congressman from Santa Barbara who has poured millions of dollars into his campaign to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who also is independently wealthy.

“It’s obvious to everyone that neither of them would have been the candidates for their parties if they had not dumped millions of dollars into their campaigns,” Rohrabacher said. “We allowed them to buy the election. It’s happening throughout the country, and in both parties.”

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Nothing personal: After years of trying, Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach)--joined by four other Republican congressmen--finally won House approval to eliminate funding for the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Yes, that’s the same commission that Orange County Republican businessman Gus A. Owen was recently appointed to by President Clinton. Owen’s appointment is awaiting Senate approval.

Cox said he discussed with Owen the need to do away with the ICC, which regulates the transportation industry. “Three of the members (on the five-member) commission are the ones that got me started in the first place,” Cox said, explaining how he became convinced several years ago that the agency is almost obsolete.

If the Senate gives its approval to stop funding the agency, it will save $150 million over five years, Cox said.

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Post-election blues: Marilyn C. Brewer, the Republican nominee in the 70th Assembly District, was attacked by her rivals for being a former Democrat. So of course she didn’t laugh when Assemblyman Tom Umberg (D-Garden Grove), referring to her primary victory, joked that while the Democrats may have trouble winning in Republican-rich Orange County, they had infiltrated the GOP.

Angered, Brewer again defended her Republican credentials and pledged to contribute at least $1,000 to Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, Umberg’s opponent in the November general election. She also called Umberg “unfit to be attorney general, and even to serve in the state Legislature.”

“We apologize if it was taken personally,” responded George Urch, Umberg’s aide. “But we expect her to support the Republican now.”

Brewer’s counterattack against Umberg, Urch added, was a “little bit over the edge.”

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Democratic ties: Brewer’s campaign consultant, Harvey Englander, has kept mum about the Washington-based political consulting firm he will be joining--pending the completion of final details--except to say he will remain in Orange County.

But here’s a huge hint: While out of town last week, Englander left a telephone number where he could be reached on his answering machine. The number belongs to the Kamber Group, a well-known firm that has strong ties to Democrats and labor unions, as well as major corporations.

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Reality check: Situated deep in archconservative south Orange County, Dana Point has never been mistaken for such liberal heartlands as Santa Monica or even Laguna Beach.

But check again. The five-member Dana Point City Council now has two Democrats--Karen Lloreda and Harold R. Kaufman--as a result of the June 7 election. A third member, Mayor Judy Curreri, was one of the “Clinton Eight”--high-profile Republicans who crossed party lines in 1992 to back Clinton.

“I would never have thought . . . when we started working on incorporation, that our council would have a political affiliation mix similar to Laguna Beach,” said outgoing Councilman Mike Eggers, an aide to Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside). “I don’t think they’ll be having a city-sponsored testimonial dinner for Rush Limbaugh anytime soon.”

O.C. Primary Voter Profile

Democrats and Republicans who voted in the June 7 primary have some similar demographic characteristics.

Democrats Republicans Gender Male 46% 54% Female 54 46 Ethnicity White 86% 89% Latino 6 4 Asian 5 4 Age 30-59 years old 54% 59% 60 and older 37 31 Religion Non-Catholic Christian 46% 65% Roman Catholic 28 23 Jewish 8 1 Annual family income $40,000-$59,999 26% 25% $60,000-$74,999 19 16 $75,000 or more 25 35

Note: Not all categories shown

Source: Los Angeles Times Poll exit poll

Politics ’94 appears every Sunday.