<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Ex-Antagonist Specter Now Sees Anita Hill Flap as ‘Learning Experience’

Specter on the spot: It wasn’t only hostile anti-abortion protesters who greeted presidential candidate Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) last week when he addressed a gathering at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda. He was also hit with a question about his thoughts on the Senate’s rejection of sexual harassment charges lodged against then-Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas by Anita F. Hill, the University of Oklahoma law professor.

Specter was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that in 1991 investigated the charges brought by Hill, now a Laguna Beach resident, who had once served as Thomas’ special assistant. Specter, who was regarded by most observers as antagonistic toward Hill, acknowledged that the panel presented a “very bad image” on television during its questioning.

“It is too late now to rewrite history,” Specter said, adding that the panel did the best job possible considering the short time the investigation was allotted.

But because so many women have since told him they identified with Hill, Specter said the hearings were “a learning experience for me” that opened his eyes to the widespread problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.

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Rohrabacher’s man: A top aide to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) is considering a challenge against a fellow Southern California Republican. Rick Dykema, chief adviser to Rohrabacher, said disenchanted conservatives are encouraging him to run against Rep. Steve Horn (R-Lakewood) because the congressman is too moderate.

“He is far to the left of the mainstream of the Republican Party on spending and social issues,” Dykema said. “I have been hearing from many people in (Horn’s) district who want better representation.”

Now in his second term, Horn has irked conservatives by voting for some of President Clinton’s initiatives, including a law requiring businesses to grant unpaid medical leave, and for favoring abortion rights and gun control.

Dykema, who has worked for Rohrabacher since running his primary campaign against Horn in 1988, already has shored up support. A state group called College Republicans passed a resolution condemning Horn and supporting Dykema.

Horn’s district borders Rohrabacher’s to the north and includes Dykema’s hometown of Long Beach.

Dykema said Rohrabacher has promised to be supportive but has not pushed him to run. “The impetus has been coming from California, not from him,” Dykema said. “This is not any scheme of his.”

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Dynamic duo: In all the frenzied activity going on behind the scenes of the Orange County financial crisis, few people have been busier than Jon Schotz and Freddie Reese.

As financial advisers for the agencies that invested in the ill-fated county investment pool, the pair hustled around the county for the past two weeks, carrying the county’s bankruptcy settlement offer to no fewer than 30 city and school board meetings. On one particularly hectic day last week, Schotz and Reese made presentations to five cities.

“One of the things we found in this magical mystery tour is that a lot of people wanted to hurt the county through legal action or some other means without knowing its future impacts,” said Schotz. “But I think everyone realized it would be good to put litigation behind us and turn attention to fixing the problems with the county.”

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No splash: Perhaps the quietest launch of any recent political campaign came last week from the Taxpayers for Responsible Planning, one of two grass-roots organizations attempting to overturn Measure A, last November’s initiative calling for the county to build a commercial airport at the El Toro Marine base.

The group filed papers for its own initiative next March and began a petition drive for the 100,000 signatures needed to get the issue on the ballot. But the group called no press conference and received only scant media coverage.

It wasn’t supposed to be that way, said Bert Hack of Leisure World, one of the principal TRP organizers. He and the other principal, Bill Kogerman of Laguna Hills, must do all the work without the luxury of the $1.3 million in spending money that Measure A backers had at their disposal, Hack said.

“This is typical of any grass-roots organization,” Hack said. “We fumbled a little where we should not have.”

Another problem is that two separate groups are working to stop the airport. Along with TRP is the South County Working Group, a coalition of city officials, said Dana Point Councilwoman Karen Lloreda, one of the members.

“We are the ones who have been flying to Washington, D.C., and working within the system,” Lloreda said. “This thing is not over yet, not by a long shot.”

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Lining up: The latest names to surface as potential candidates for county Board of Supervisors Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez’s seat next year are Jim Beam, a former mayor of Orange who ran unsuccessfully against former Supervisor Don R. Roth, and Mission Viejo Councilwoman Susan Withrow. Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange) already has announced that he intends to run for the 3rd Supervisorial District seat.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Monday: The Republican Central Committee of Orange County will have its general meeting at 7 p.m. at the Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. The public is invited. Call (714) 556-8555 for information.

* Wednesday: County Supervisor Marian Bergeson will discuss the Orange County budget crisis at a meeting of the Laguna Niguel Republican Women Federated at 9:30 a.m. at Michael’s Supper Club, 24399 Dana Drive, Dana Point. Luncheon tickets are $15. Call Christine Armas at (714) 499-2437 for information.

* Sunday: Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) will discuss the “contract with America” with the Newport Harbor Republican Assembly and the Laguna Beach Republicans from 2 to 4 p.m. at 1021 White Sails Way, Corona Del Mar. Tickets are $20. Call Evelyn Hart at (714) 645-9127 for information.

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall, with contributions from staff writer Leslie Berkman, correspondent Frank Messina and Lisa Richwine of States News Service.

Politics ’95 appears every Sunday. Items can be mailed to Politics ‘95, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626, or faxed to (714) 966-7711.