<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : County Democrats Will Sit Out Assembly Race, Rest Up for the Long Run

For the first time in recent history, county Democrats have failed to field a candidate in a state Assembly race. No doubt that didn’t hurt the feelings of freshman Assemblyman Richard Ackerman (R-Fullerton), who will run unopposed in the 72nd District next year, but it makes many wonder about the state of the county Democratic Party.

“Quite frankly, I’m building for 1998,” said Jim Toledano, an Irvine attorney who is the county Democratic Party chairman. Toledano predicted a voter backlash in 1998 to the policies of state Republicans, “like what you will see nationwide in 1996.”

“What you are going to see for the next year is the rebuilding of a grass-roots Democratic Party built around issues and the presidential race,” Toledano said.

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On leadership: Frustrated with Republican leaders’ foot-dragging on GOP efforts to stop the U.S. troop deployment to Bosnia, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) recently had a few choice words for Speaker Newt Gingrich.

“The American people want some leadership,” Rohrabacher told the Washington Times. “Newt has been tap-dancing around this issue. We didn’t elect Newt to be our leader because he was a good dancer. We elected him because he wasn’t afraid of a fight, and this is exactly the fight that deserves to happen.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) is leading a congressional fact-finding mission to Bosnia this weekend. “We have a responsibility . . . to do everything in our power to minimize risk to American lives and spend our taxpayers dollars wisely,” Packard said before departing for the war zone.

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An old friend: Packard also scored a coup recently by getting Gingrich to confirm he will attend the Oceanside congressman’s birthday reception in Orange County on the evening of Jan. 13. The details are not set yet, but it probably will be held somewhere in Irvine, said Mike Eggers, Packard’s aide in San Clemente.

“It’s going to be the political E ticket for the first of the year,” Eggers said.

The GOP has been criticized because its proposed budget balancing plan would cut Medicare benefits. But with Packard turning 65 next month, Eggers said with a smile: “I guess Newt really does have concern for seniors.”

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On the domestic front: A strong undercurrent of political friction could be felt across a Capitol Hill hearing room last week, where House members discussed the teaching of values in the public schools.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) strongly denied the allegations of gay rights groups that the hearings were “anti-gay,” and tried to distance himself from the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon of the Anaheim-based Traditional Values Coalition.

Sheldon had pressed for the hearings because of what he calls the promotion of “homosexual promiscuity” in the public schools.

Standing almost side by side at the rear of the hearing room were Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is gay, and Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), whose staffer prepared a 146-page report on “How Congress Supports and Funds Organized Homosexuality.”

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Dear Mr. President: One of the “contract with America” items that places more controls on the filing of securities fraud lawsuits was approved by the House and Senate last week, much to the glee of its primary sponsor, Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach.) Some primary beneficiaries of the bill are high-technology and other growth companies that are hit most often by investor lawsuits.

“I strongly urge the president to do what is right for California and for the country and sign these much-needed investor protections into law,” Cox said in a statement last week.

Trial lawyers who fought the legislation beg to differ with Cox’s “investor protections” label, and have sent their own appeal to the White House. Sources said that President Clinton’s advisors have urged a veto but that the president is leaning toward signing the bill.

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Merry Christmas: After Congress took the moral high ground and implemented a “zero tolerance” policy for lobbyists’ gifts, lawmakers quietly tinkered with the plan, adding three pages of exceptions to the rule before it takes effect Jan. 1.

During the mid-November debate, Orange County lawmakers said they wouldn’t be affected much by the new rules because none of them received fancy gifts from influence peddlers. It was the smaller gifts, such as caps and candy bars, that they’d have to give up, they said.

But in a little-noticed voice vote, lawmakers approved a host of exceptions to the hard-line gift ban. They will allow, among other things, inexpensive refreshments, magazines and books--not to mention ball caps, greeting cards and T-shirts.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Tuesday: Political columnist William A. Rusher will be the special guest at the Republican Party of Orange County’s Holidays Reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Inland Group offices in Newport Beach. Information: (714) 556-8555.

* Tuesday: Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange) will have his annual Christmas open house from 5 to 8 p.m. at his district office, 1940 Tustin Ave., Suite 102, Orange. Information: (714) 283-3448.

* Wednesday: Assemblyman Jim Morrissey (R-Anaheim) will have his annual holiday open house from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at his district office, 930 W. 17th St., Suite C, Santa Ana. Information: (714) 754-5955.

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall, with contributions from Times staff writer Gebe Martinez and correspondents Frank Messina and Rebecca Weiner.

Politics ’95 appears every Sunday.