Democrats’ Annual Picnic Serves Plenty of Skewered Elephant

It was a day of chowing down on beans and barbecue and skewering Republicans at the traditional Labor Day picnic Monday hosted by Ventura County’s Democratic Party and organized labor.

About 400 union members and Democratic activists joined in the annual celebration of working men and women which, in rich American political tradition, doubles as the official kickoff of the fall campaign season.

“The Republicans are going to be telling lies from now until November because they are running scared,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres. He called on the partisan congregation at College Park to become the “truth squads” to keep the campaigns honest and work hard for the Democratic ticket.

“Bob Dole was in Santa Barbara to get a nice tan,” Torres told the crowd. “That’s all he’s going to get from California.” That brought cheers--and some foot-stamping--from the crowd.

Monday’s barbecue gave local Democratic candidates a chance to polish their speeches and line up supporters and sources of political cash.

“When you call Sacramento or Washington, we want to be there for you,” said Jess Herrera, an Oxnard Harbor commissioner trying to oust Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard). “But we cannot be there for you without your help.”

Brad Sherman turned his brief talk into a trumpet to arms in the fierce fight with Republican Rich Sybert over the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills.)

“There is a civil war over the future of this country, and the nearest battle is just over the Conejo Grade,” Sherman said of the district that includes Thousand Oaks and portions of the San Fernando Valley. “I need your help.”

Having just returned from last week’s Democratic National Convention, Sherman noted he was given a few minutes to address the delegates because of the party’s emphasis on retaining Beilenson’s seat.

Sherman passed out pocket combs during the afternoon while Democratic congressional candidate Bob Unruhe handed out fortune cookies. The message inside: Unruhe’s election would “bring good fortune to Ventura County.” Unruhe is challenging Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) in the district that includes all of the county, except for most of Thousand Oaks.

“I passed out 5,000 of these at the county fair,” Unruhe said. “I’ve talked to more people in 10 months than Gallegly has in 10 years. And a lot of people want to dump Elton Gallegly from office.”

The Democratic Club of Ventura was giving away “DUMP ELTON” bumper stickers modeled after “DUMP WELDON” stickers, from a past campaign opposing the Weldon Canyon Landfill.

Another Democratic club was hawking toilet plungers for $3 apiece, calling them “Newt Removers.”

Some speakers belittled those waging Republican revolutions in Sacramento as well as Washington.

“There were some crazy bills by the right wing nuts, the Neanderthals in the Assembly,” said state Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo). As examples, he cited legislation to eliminate the 40-hour workweek and to do away with Cal/OSHA.

“We were able to give those bills a fair hearing and then we killed them,” the senator told the cheering crowd. He urged those assembled to help elect “thoughtful, rational people--like Democrats.”

Some talked about the fight over the minimum wage in Congress and urged members to support Proposition 210 on California’s November ballot, which would increase wages to $5.25 an hour by March 1998.

Festooned with political patches and buttons, county Democratic Chairman Robert L. Gallaway said he felt like a Nascar race driver.

But he was proudest of his pin that featured the head of a light-colored dog, ranting about the “extremist, right-wing agenda” of Republican leadership.

“I’m proud to be a yellow-dog Democrat,” Gallaway said. “I’ll vote for a yellow dog before I’ll for a Republican.”

Ventura County Republicans hold their annual barbecue Sept. 22.