<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Unz Bucks Trend Again With Broadside Against ‘Sink Our State’ Initiative

Unlike Unz?: After winning 43% of the Orange County GOP primary vote against Gov. Pete Wilson with a platform that criticized multiculturalism, political correctness and bilingual education, Republican entrepreneur Ron Unz has taken a strong stand against Proposition 187, the immigration initiative on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

“I came close to endorsing the initiative until I actually read the provisions carefully, and found that they were crazy,” Unz said in a statement. He said “no sincere Republican or conservative” should support the measure.

Instead of the “Save Our State” label used by initiative proponents, Unz called it “Sink Our State,” claiming it is immoral, would be costly to the state and would create an identification system that reminds him of “old Communist Russia.”

Local Republicans said they weren’t too surprised because they believe Unz espouses more of a Libertarian, rather than Republican, philosophy. A gleeful Democrat, meanwhile, wondered if Unz was taking the opposite position of Wilson because of their past rivalry.

“Ron Unz would take this position because he believes in it and I don’t think it has anything to do with any remaining animosity against Wilson,” said Jo Ellen Allen, the vice chairwoman of the local GOP. “It just shows that Republicans can disagree on more than the abortion issue.”

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But it plays well in Santa Ana: A poll recently conducted for Republican candidate Jim Morrissey in the 69th Assembly District showed that the candidate who backs Proposition 187 gets wide support in the central Orange County district, which has a large ethnic population and a 21-point Democratic voter edge. According to the survey of 600 voters, Morrissey’s position in favor of the measure was supported by 58% of those polled, compared to 27% opposed. (A recent Field Poll showed statewide support at 57%.) Morrissey will be playing up that issue since his Democratic opponent, Mike Metzler, opposes the initiative.

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Bushwhacking: For months, Rep. Robert K. Dornan has downplayed the prospect of a Democratic challenge in the upcoming November election.

But, accustomed to the guerrilla warfare of campaign politics, Dornan has decided to take nothing for granted: He has enlisted the support of former President George Bush.

Bush will be featured at an Oct. 19 fund-raiser for Dornan ($1,000 per couple for the private party) at the Chanteclair restaurant in Irvine. A photo of Bush and Dornan are on the invitation with a message from the former President: “Friendship.”

After being surprised by a well-financed primary challenger in 1992, Dornan said he’s gathering forces to ward off a surge by Democratic opponent Mike Farber.

“It can happen, it can happen. I don’t want to be surprised ever again.”

The fund-raiser will be Bush’s first visit to Orange County since the 1992 election, when local Republicans gave him the lowest support for any Republican presidential candidate in 56 years. However, Dornan says local conservatives have realized their mistake in not backing Bush, a “man with character,” compared to the “emperor from Arkansas (who) has no clothes.”

Farber replied: “This (visit from Bush) just shows how desperate Dornan has become. He has already raised over a million dollars. What is he going to do with all the money except to buy the respect he cannot earn?”

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Term limits: Brett Williamson, the Democratic candidate in the 45th Congressional District, has challenged incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) to sign the “Voter Protection Pledge” sponsored by the U.S. Term Limits group. By signing the pledge, Williamson gave his support to the state law, which is still before the courts, limiting Congress members to six years in office. Williamson said he will abide by the limit even if the law is overturned by the courts, and wants Rohrabacher to pledge that he will serve only until 1998 if he is reelected.

Rohrabacher is making no such promise. He released a statement saying he has signed a “much more significant” pledge that commits him to voting for a term limits constitutional amendment that is opposed by House Democratic leaders. “What’s more significant--the time one congressman stays in office, or setting term limits for all members of Congress?” Rohrabacher said.

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‘U’ stands for . . .: For weeks, Democratic state attorney general candidate Tom Umberg’s campaign hounded Republican incumbent Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren for having an unimpressive 10- to 15-point lead over Umberg in early public opinion polls. Now, a new Field Poll shows Lungren pulling ahead of the Garden Grove assemblyman by 23 points--with 44% support among likely voters, compared to 21% for Umberg.

“The ‘U’ in Umberg still stands for Uphill, Upstream, Unknown, and Unelectable,” the Lungren campaign claimed in a statement.

George Urch, Umberg’s campaign manager responded: “I find their comment very Underwhelming, and they are Underestimating us, just as the Republicans here in Orange County have over the last few years.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Monday: 41st Congressional District Democratic candidate Ed Tessier has a fall campaign kick-off party and fund-raiser at Cancun’s restaurant, 245 Gentle Springs Lane, Diamond Bar, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person. Information: 909-865-8512.

* Tuesday: Orange County Clerk Gary Granville holds a $100 per person fund-raiser at First American Title Insurance Company from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For information, call 714-540-9561.

* Wednesday: District 2 supervisorial candidates Linda Moulton Patterson and Jim Silva participate in a candidates forum sponsored by the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Waterfront Hilton Hotel in Huntington Beach at 8 a.m.

* Thursday: Former Vice President Dan Quayle will be at the Disneyland Hotel to receive American Family Living’s “Family Heritage Award” during a benefit dinner beginning at 6 p.m.

Compiled by Times political writer Gebe Martinez

Politics ’94 appears every Sunday.