POLITICS : Now the ‘In’ Party, GOP Gets Stars’ Attention : ‘Hip’ celebrities are publicly backing Republicans. Their support could attract new voters.

When Republicans took over Congress in January, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were there, kicking and cartwheeling in a special celebratory performance.

The appearance by the hugely popular children’s action heroes was a coup for the Republicans--a party whose major celebrity supporters are more often of the Charlton Heston or Lee Greenwood variety. While venerable, few would accuse them of being trendy or hot.

Yet now there are signs that the resurgent party is drawing in new entertainers, or at least more of them are willing to be associated publicly with the GOP. Among supporters cautiously coming out of the political closet are some who are notably higher on the “hip” scale, and their involvement could in turn attract a new set of age and interest groups.

Take Austin St. John, the 20-year-old actor who once played the Red Power Ranger. He plans to help raise money for Republicans.

While he supports spending on crime prevention and aid for college students and opposes spending on “Star Wars” weapons systems--positions more often associated with the Democrats, St. John rallies to the Republicans for their policies on tax cuts and foreign aid.

The right-leaning celebrities, many of whom think of themselves as libertarian, are especially attracted to the “leave-me-alone coalition” in Congress--those who oppose many taxes and government regulations, says Jack Abramoff, a conservative Washington lobbyist and movie producer.

And who better to say “leave me alone” to environmentalists, tax collectors and gun regulators than the actors who perpetually play men who avenge evildoing?

Republican stars do “manly men TV shows and movies,” says conservative strategist Grover G. Norquist. “Republicans do car chases. We don’t tend to do those movies where people sit on couches and talk to each other.”

Republican celebrities plan to use their star power at fund-raisers here, in Los Angeles and in rural districts that are home to many first-term Congress members.

Some of the stars who are considered the Right People now:

* Heston, the stalwart of all conservative celebrities, who has stumped for the National Rifle Assn. and for many Republicans, including Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) last fall.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger, who campaigned for President George Bush.

* Bruce Willis, who appeared at the 1992 Republican National Convention.

* Clint Eastwood, who has supported such Republicans as Pete Wilson, George Deukmejian and Ronald Reagan.

* Tom Selleck, who has attended conservative political events, although he has donated money to both parties.

* Sylvester Stallone, who has given to Republicans and Democrats but is identified with the GOP.

Beyond that list is a host of country singers, who are more often Republican-friendly. Greenwood sang at a January salute to House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Garth Brooks came to Washington to lobby Gingrich on behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts after NEA Chairman Jane Alexander’s repeated requests for a meeting were ignored.

Abramoff, who produced “Red Scorpion” and “Red Scorpion 2,” is organizing a celebrity network to support conservative candidates and causes. The network could include “both normal Republicans everyone knows . . . as well as some others not known as political activists or Republicans.”

He declines to name others who might join the network, saying: “The old story is that the first whale up is the one who gets harpooned.”

While the GOP types move up the “in vogue” scale, celebrities viewed as hopelessly to the left are moving down as Democrats seek cover in the political center.

The Wrong People, at least as Norquist sees it:

* Jane Fonda, who is despised by conservatives, even now that most people under 30 can’t remember why.

* Ed Begley Jr., shunned for what Norquist calls his “weird environmental stuff.” Begley drives an electric car and campaigns for environmental laws.

* Woody Harrelson and Margot Kidder, who opposed sending American troops to the Persian Gulf.

What do these people have in common?

“It’s whatever the liberals think is too weird for words,” Norquist says.

Democrats, however, still turn to some celebrities. “Anybody who plays a family person is the kind of guy the Democrats will wrap themselves around, like the parent on ‘Full House,’ ” says Norquist, referring to Bob Saget, who appeared at a Democratic rally protesting plans to scale back the school lunch program.

And some Democrats insist that environmentalism is still popular and that they welcome help from Begley--along with Ted Danson and Rob Reiner, who have spoken publicly against Republican bills to trim environmental laws.