<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Pass It Along: Dornan Gives Varying Reports of His Own Wisecracks

While attending a presidential candidates forum in Las Vegas last weekend, Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) reportedly spoke to a couple of reporters about the prison riots that resulted after the House voted not to equalize prison sentences for possession of powder and crack cocaine.

Crack offenders, overwhelmingly black, serve vastly longer sentences than powder cocaine offenders, who are mostly white. The inmates, along with civil rights leaders and others, say the sentences unfairly target blacks.

Dornan wondered aloud to a reporter how word had spread from one prison to another. “What do they got, jungle drums?” the Washington Post reported Dornan saying.

Later in the week, Dornan denied making the statement. According to the Post article, Dornan said: “I don’t believe I did. If a reporter told you I said that, it gives a new meaning” to petty reporting by “someone looking to smear me.” The Post also reported that Dornan labeled “jungle drums” an “innocuous phrase.”

The day before the Post article ran, however, Dornan had a different version for The Times. He related how he and his son Mark were trying to figure out a way to describe the role television played in spreading the riots from prison to prison.

Dornan said the two considered but rejected “jungle drums,” deciding the phrase would be politically incorrect. “Smoke signals” was also deemed insensitive. Finally, he said he settled on “grapevine” and hoped it would not be offensive to Italians.

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High-priced meal: Supervisor Jim Silva held an unusually high-priced fund-raiser this week, charging two dozen people $1,000 each to break bread with him at the Balboa Bay Club.

The exclusive event was intended to pay down a $30,000 campaign debt Silva has carried since winning election in 1994.

“We waited about 11 months to have any kind of fund-raiser,” said Silva, rather than trying to conduct one in the midst of the bankruptcy crisis.

Organizer Thomas A. Fuentes, head of the county Republican Party, declined to say who attended, but noted that having such a high-priced event made it “more exclusive and made it easier for the donors” who otherwise might have bought four tickets to a $250 lunch.

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To Doris, from Brian: The invitations mention only a $250-a-plate fund-raiser for Assembly Speaker Brian Setencich (R-Fresno) to be held at the Irvine Marriott Nov. 8. But the money that is collected will go to help Setencich’s predecessor as Speaker, Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress), fight the Republican-sponsored recall against her, say the organizers, the People’s Advocate Political Action Committee.

Edward Joseph (Ted) Costa of Sacramento, one of the founders of the Republican committee, said he “supports Doris Allen and opposes the recall.”

“This money could go to the citizens in [the 67th Assembly District] to help make up their minds and urge them to vote against the recall,” Costa said. The event begins at 6 p.m.

Not for Allen: The Recall Doris Allen campaign held a district walk Saturday in an effort to sign up more absentee voters in their campaign to oust the assemblywoman. Allen drew the ire of state and county Republican Party leaders for siding with Democrats in a deal that resulted in her being elected Assembly Speaker in June.

Some 300 people participated in the voter drive, including scores who came from outside the county, said recall campaign manager Jeff Gibson. “We want to get across the message that for the recall to be successful you need to continue to work and then to vote,” said Gibson.

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For the record: An Oct. 15 item in Politics ’95 mischaracterized the tenor of a meeting between ex-Mission Viejo Councilman Robert A. Curtis and City Manager Dan Joseph. Curtis walked into Joseph’s office and, after a short conversation, left without incident.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Monday: The Colin Powell Task Force meets at 7 p.m., Pacifica Hospital Community Room, 18792 Delaware St., Huntington Beach.

* Tuesday: The Orange County Public Affairs Assn. plays host to new Supervisor Don Saltarelli for a luncheon at 11:30, Irvine Hyatt Regency, 17900 Jamboree Road. (714) 474-8659

* Wednesday: A fund-raiser for Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange), candidate for county supervisor, 6 to 8 p.m. at Raffaello restaurant in Orange. (714) 283-3448 or (909) 686-1996.

* Thursday: “Churchillian cigar smoker” fund-raiser for Steve Cardona, GOP primary candidate for 71st Assembly District, Santa Ana Country Club. 6:30 to 10 p.m. (714) 573-8108.

* Thursday: Supervisor William G. Steiner speaks on “The Quality of Life: A Public or Private Sector Responsibility?” at 7 p.m. at UC Irvine’s Public Affairs Theme House, 1048 Arroyo Drive, Irvine. Scott Shields (714) 509-1632.

* Friday: George Stephanopoulos, senior adviser to President Clinton, will speak at a fund-raiser for Jim Prince, Democratic primary candidate for 46th Congressional District, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Procom Technology, 2181 Dupont Drive, Irvine. (714) 836-1996

* Friday: Columnist Alan Bock speaks to United We Stand America at 7 p.m. at the Irvine Ranch Water District board room, 15600 Sand Canyon Road, Irvine. Call (714) 731-6369.

Compiled by Times political writer Peter M. Warren, with contributions from staff writers Gebe Martinez and Len Hall.

Politics ’95 appears every Sunday.