CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS / U.S. SENATE : Huffington Portrays Himself as an Outsider vs. a Politician

Republican Mike Huffington on Wednesday cast his race for the U.S. Senate as a battle between the special-interest insiders backing Sen. Dianne Feinstein and his own outsider crusade for a government of citizen legislators.

Huffington told an audience of business professionals that by campaigning with his personal money and limiting himself to two terms, he has the independence to stand up to powerful interests--including his own political party and some of its sacred cows, such as big business.

“I want to say to you today, I am running because I am not part of the system,” Huffington told a luncheon meeting of the Comstock Club, a group of business leaders. “I am a maverick. . . . This speech I hope one day will be looked at as the speech that started the change from the career politician to the citizen politician.”

Huffington, a Santa Barbara congressman, also addressed critics who say that he is trying to buy the election by spending, so far, at least $10 million from a personal fortune he made in the 1990 sale of his family’s Texas petroleum company. Huffington told the audience that his self-funded campaign should be viewed as a personal sacrifice to challenge the traditional power of contributors.

“I have so far put $10 million into this campaign,” he said. “How many people in America do you know would be willing to sacrifice their hard-earned money for that? It’s not for the office . . . it’s not for the power or the glory or the perks--I had more in my private life. It’s because I care deeply about you.”

Wednesday’s speech was portrayed by the Huffington campaign as an attempt to define sharp differences between the two leading candidates and to frame the issues Huffington would like voters to consider.

Since both Feinstein and Huffington are considered moderates in their parties, some analysts have downplayed the policy differences. Both candidates agree on a number of political litmus tests--support for abortion rights and gay rights, gun control--including the ban on assault weapons--and President Clinton’s Family Leave Act.

But in his speech, Huffington sought to challenge the notion that he and Feinstein are similar, arguing that the opposite is true.

“When I run against Mrs. Feinstein, it is because she and I are diametrically different,” he said. “She believes in the power of government to solve the problems. . . . I am running against the establishment that says give us more of your money and we will solve the problems.”

Both Huffington and Feinstein were elected to federal office at the same time in 1992, but he noted that Feinstein has been a politician for more than 25 years, since she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He sought to portray her as an entrenched politician in Washington by noting her support for many of President Clinton’s programs, particularly his 1993 budget.

Huffington has voted against most of the appropriations bills to come before Congress because he believes they are too costly.

Feinstein campaign officials responded Wednesday that they are happy to wage the contest on a comparison of the two lawmakers in Washington. They say the campaign is that of a fighter for California interests versus a political bomb thrower who is quick to criticize but who does not work for solutions.

“Californians do want leadership, but Michael Huffington has never offered any leadership on anything and Dianne Feinstein, on all of the issues he raises, has been in the thick of it,” said Feinstein campaign manager Kam Kuwata. “He is making up things about Dianne Feinstein. That’s not leadership, that is being a typical politician.”

In his speech, Huffington hardly touched on his proposal to end the federal welfare system, a plan he referred to last month as the “central theme of my campaign.” Since he broadcast a commercial highlighting the plan, skeptics have questioned whether it is realistic. The candidate said he will continue to discuss his plan.

Huffington focused most of his comments Wednesday on what he said was the independent voice he brings to the campaign. As proof that he has been willing to stand up to powerful influences, Huffington boasted about how he rejected the advice of GOP leaders who asked that he not run against veteran GOP Rep. Robert Lagomarsino (R-Ventura) in 1992.

“The Republican Party said, ‘You’re a great Republican . . . but you’re running against an 18-year Republican congressman and we don’t want you to run against somebody who is already in Congress,’ ” Huffington said. “Well, I said I have different views than that person does.

“Dan Quayle, the vice president at the time, called me and asked me to get out of the race,” he continued. “George Bush and Dan Quayle, most of the Republican congressmen; they all backed my opponent. But I went to those 10,000 homes (in the district) . . . and what they said is, ‘We don’t want more of the same.’ ”