A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life

There was no shortage of trial balloons floating out of the San Diego Convention Center during the GOP convention carrying the names of Republicans lining up to take on California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in 1998.

Three were from Orange County.

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), who considered running against Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 1994 until Republican millionaire Michael Huffington jumped in, has long been talked about as a serious candidate.

Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, quoted Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) as saying: “If Chris Cox runs, I’ll be supporting Chris Cox. If Chris Cox doesn’t run, I’ll seriously consider” the Senate race.

The newspaper later carried a story on Rep. Robert K. Dornan, which quoted the erstwhile GOP presidential candidate from Garden Grove as saying he is “thinking about” challenging Boxer. But first, he has to come to Orange County and fight off a challenge for his House seat from Democrat Loretta Sanchez.

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So that explains it: During the recent taping of the Comedy Channel’s “Politically Incorrect,” Rohrabacher surprised other guests and television host Bill Maher by proclaiming that President Clinton dyes his hair gray to look older.

“How do you know?” asked actor and fellow guest Jay Thomas. Rohrabacher provided no answer.

The Orange County congressman, who has never wanted to detail the extent of his past drug use, also got caught up in the merriment of the show and made a confession. He said in his younger days he did “everything except drink the bong water.”

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Flagman: With the pledge of allegiance back in vogue at Saddleback College, who better to mark the occasion than conservative flag-waver Oliver North. The former Marine Corps colonel who gained fame during the Iran-contra hearings has agreed to speak at the college’s Mission Viejo campus on Sept. 20.

The college made headlines this year when local citizens and veterans groups blasted the Associated Student Government’s policy of not holding the pledge of allegiance before meetings. A recent election brought in a new group of student officers who reinstated the pledge last week.

“With all the opposition to [the students] dropping the pledge, we thought [North’s appearance] would be a good tie-in,” said George Key, a San Clemente veteran who led the pro-pledge forces. “Oliver North brings a strong patriotic message, and I’m very pleased that he’s coming.”

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Prophetic payments: Lesley Fleishman is going to be a much happier camper next month. Come September, Fleishman makes the last payment for a lawsuit she lost to a former election foe. Her crime? Predicting the future.

While making an unsuccessful run for the Irvine Ranch Water District board in November 1994, Fleishman drew the wrath of longtime water district Trustee Peer Swan. He was irked because Fleishman’s ballot statement took Swan to task for investing district funds in the risky Orange County investment pool.

Swan took her to court and convinced a judge to delete the attacks from the ballot statement. The judge also ordered Fleishman, now the conservative California Republican Assembly’s membership secretary, to pay $2,500 to offset Swan’s legal bill.

A month after her defeat at the polls, Fleishman’s campaign statement proved prophetic. The county investment pool went belly up. The Irvine Ranch Water District and other investors lost big.

But Fleishman still has had to make her $100-a-month payments to Swan. Adding insult to expense, Swan dutifully deposited the checks in his own campaign account, in effect making it appear his bitter enemy was a big contributor.

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Lawmaker’s lawmaker: Once again, Rep. Ron Packard (R-Oceanside) has chosen an elected official as his South County district representative. Now filling the shoes of Mike Eggers, a former mayor of Dana Point who served as Packard’s aide for 14 years before taking a job with Southern California Edison, is Wyatt T. Hart, the current mayor of San Juan Capistrano. Hart, who served for 21 years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department before retiring in 1987, has been in his new position since last week.

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Man’s town: Good luck to the two women who have taken out papers to run for City Council in Anaheim--Lucille Kring and Shirley McCracken. In its 126-year history, Anaheim hasn’t looked fondly at female council candidates.

In all those years, no woman has ever been mayor of Anaheim and only one, Miriam Kaywood, has ever been elected to the City Council. Kaywood, who still attends meetings, was first elected in 1974 and lost her final try for reelection in 1990.

The political powers don’t exactly help women, she said. “There is usually a lot of scheming by some of the men to make it very difficult for women,” said Kaywood, who is backing McCracken.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Monday and Thursday: The South Orange County Democratic Club will have an open house at its Clinton-Gore campaign headquarters at 10 a.m. Monday at 28451 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. An evening open house will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday. Information: (714) 364-1996.

* Thursday: A convention party will celebrate the opening of the 70th Assembly District Democratic headquarters. The event is from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Irvine Marketplace, 4249 Campus Drive, Suite B-140, Irvine. Information: Shirley Palley at (714) 854-8024.

* Thursday: The Young Republicans of Orange County will have their August mixer. Information: (714) 754-5955.

Compiled by Times staff writer Eric Bailey, with contributions from staff writers Gebe Martinez and Len Hall and correspondents Julie Fate Sullivan and Frank Messina.

Politics ’96 appears every Sunday. Items can be mailed to Politics ‘96, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or faxed to (714) 966-7711.