<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Foe Nominates Conroy’s Convicted Allies as Good Candidates for His Paddle

Paddles ‘R Us: The recent success of Assemblyman Mickey Conroy’s bill calling for the paddling of juvenile graffiti vandals got a rise out of Bob Mulholland, the California Democratic Party’s hard-nosed campaign adviser.

“Dear Mr. Conroy,” Mulholland wrote last Wednesday, a day after the measure was approved in the Assembly Public Safety Committee. “If you’re concerned about crime, why don’t you amend your paddling bill (AB 150X) to include your friends Pat Nolan and Frank Hill?” He was referring to the Republican legislators convicted this year on corruption charges.

Mulholland added a postscript: “You could do the paddling yourself in the Assembly Chambers.”

The Democrat said later that much of his dislike for Conroy stems from efforts by the Orange Republican to get state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), the former Vietnam anti-war activist, thrown out of the Legislature for alleged treason. Mulholland was once the political director for Campaign California, a grass-roots group formed by Hayden.

“I’ve never liked the guy,” Mulholland said of Conroy. “I’ve never seen the guy as anyone with any kind of intelligence to pay attention to. And I’m flabbergasted by the idea of Mickey Conroy leading the fight on crime.”

Conroy had no comment.

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Secret plan: The Conroy team says it was ready to strike back had the Assembly Public Safety Committee balked at the paddling bill out of fear that such punishment could cause permanent physical damage. The team’s secret plan called for chief of staff Pete Conaty to step up and offer a paddling demonstration on his 15-year-old son, Patrick.

“Some people have complained that paddling could cause spinal injuries, and we wanted to be able, if necessary, to show how nonsensical that was,” said Chris Manson, a Conroy staffer. Fortunately for Patrick’s posterior, the bill got the requisite four votes to move forward.

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If you can’t stand the heat . . . : Long known for their vitriolic attacks against those liberals, Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) and former Fullerton congressman William E. Dannemeyer joined other Republicans from across the country in crying foul when Rep. Vic Fazio (D-West Sacramento) criticized the rising influence of the religious “radical right” plank of the Republican Party.

Fazio, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said recently that Republicans “are being forced to the fringes by the aggressive political tactics of the religious right,” and predicted that the GOP would suffer a backlash.

Dornan said that “like McCarthyism, Fazioism is defined as personal attacks and widely indiscriminate allegations based on unsubstantiated, fear-mongering allegations.” He backed a resolution that “recognizes constitutional protection of religious beliefs and condemns religious bigotry and intolerance.”

Dannemeyer, meanwhile, challenged Fazio to a debate, but predicted that “the last thing Vic Fazio or any of those liberals want is to debate me any place, any time, on any subject.”

Last week, Fazio refused to debate. He told Dannemeyer that if the former congressman had read his speech on the subject, he would see that he favors people “of all religious pursuasions” participating in politics. He said he just doesn’t like the religious right’s agenda, which calls for the abolishment of Social Security and the Department of Education, among other things. “It is this agenda that the Democratic Party proudly fights to defeat,” Fazio said.

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Radio voice: Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) was picked by Republican congressional leaders and national GOP Chairman Haley Barbour to deliver the party’s response to President Clinton’s weekly radio address that aired Saturday. The duty is split between Republican senators and congressmen, so Cox said he was proud to be asked to lock horns with Clinton. But he claimed not to be nervous about addressing a national audience. “It’s radio. You get to read (the response).”

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Doling out support: Before his death, former President Richard Nixon was scheduled to help raise operating funds for his presidential library in Yorba Linda by speaking at a formal dinner. With his passing, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) has been asked to be the main speaker at a $2,500-per-person tribute dinner this month in honor of Nixon. A library spokesman says it’s the first fund-raising event specifically for the facility’s operating budget, which totals about $2.8 million a year and relies on private contributions and entrance fees. The library receives no federal funding due to a longstanding dispute with Congress following Nixon’s resignation from office that made the museum ineligible to become part of the National Archives system.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Wednesday: The Orange County Republican Party hosts a “unity” reception with local candidates, featuring U.S. Senate candidate Michael Huffington, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Newport Marriott. Tickets are $5 each. Huffington’s campaign is co-sponsoring the event.

* Thursday: The World Affairs Council of Orange County hosts a discussion by Orange County congressmen on the topic: “How well--or badly--is the U.S. doing in world affairs?” The dinner--$35 for non-members and $25 for members--begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Disneyland Hotel.

* Saturday: State Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, who is seeking reelection, will attend a breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. with local Republican officials at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. Later, Lungren and Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) will participate in a Crime Prevention Summit in La Mirada, beginning at 10 a.m.

* Saturday: Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) kicks off his reelection campaign with a $125-per-person fund-raiser at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The hosts for the event, called “A Salute to a Fighter,” are the five other members of the Orange County congressional delegation.

Politics ’94 appears every Sunday.