Rollins Offers Apologies for Jewish ‘Joke’ : Politics: GOP consultant writes contrite letters to Waxman and Berman after slur at party for Willie Brown.

Republican campaign consultant Edward J. Rollins offered a strongly worded apology Friday to San Fernando Valley congressmen Henry A. Waxman and Howard L. Berman, saying his use of an anti-Jewish slur to refer to the two Democratic lawmakers was a “feeble attempt at humor” that was “totally and unequivocally wrong.”

Meanwhile, the campaign manager for GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole, to whom Rollins is a senior adviser, called the remark “totally inexcusable” but said Rollins had apologized and will continue in his volunteer role.

“We hope this apology does something to heal the hurt his words have caused,” said Scott Reed, the campaign manager.

Rollings made the remarks during Monday night’s roast of California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, attended by 450 politicians, lobbyists and others at a Sacramento hotel.

In his remarks, Rollins joked that Brown, a potential San Francisco mayoral candidate, really wants to be mayor of Los Angeles. “If elected mayor of L.A., he could show those Hymie boys Berman and Waxman, who were always trying to make Willie feel inferior for not being Jewish,” Rollins was quoted as saying.

But the remark angered several local and national Jewish organizations.

“It looks like Rollins needs some sensitivity training, at best,” said Jess Hordes, Washington director of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. “Words have consequences in many ways and they can be very painful. It doesn’t do anything for public discourse or tolerance to use words like this.”

In apologetic letters to Waxman and Berman, the veteran political consultant explained that he was attempting to humorously recount the 1980 fight for the speakership in which then-Assemblyman Berman, backed by Waxman, was outmaneuvered by Brown with the help of Assembly Republicans.

At the time, Rollins was a top GOP aide who helped broker the deal.

“My presentation was . . . a fictional recounting of the 1980 Speaker’s fight and was done with great irreverence and attempt at humor,” Rollins wrote. “The insults were not meant personally, nor was it my intention to cause you any embarrassment.”

Both Waxman and Berman, longtime political allies whose careers have sent them from Sacramento to Washington, were traveling Friday and could not be reached for comment.

A Waxman aide said the congressman “doesn’t want to dignify the remark” with a response.

A staffer for Berman said Rollins’ remark was not surprising.

“You can almost always judge a man by his history,” said the aide, who requested anonymity. “I don’t think anyone should be surprised to see Ed Rollins be offensive. I think it will probably happen again.”

In 1993, Rollins caused a furor when he told reporters that New Jersey Republican Christine Todd Whitman’s successful campaign for governor, which he managed, had paid $500,000 in “walking-around money” to black community leaders to get African Americans to stay away from the polls. Rollins, who faced a criminal investigation, later denied that such payments were made.

On Thursday, Rollins said he regretted using the Jewish slur if it offended anyone. But Friday he offered a more sweeping mea culpa .

“My lack of sensitivity was totally inexcusable,” he wrote. “I can only say that my offense was not intended to harm or insult you, even though that was the end result. I plead stupidity and ignorance, not malice. Never would I deliberately attack your faith or heritage.”

He told the two lawmakers that although they have been on the opposite sides of most political questions, he respects “your abilities and commitment to your causes.”

Times staff writers Janet Hook in Washington and Carl Ingram in Sacramento contributed to this story.