Republican Group Picks GOP Bastion to Back Clinton

A group of prominent California Republicans chose Orange County--traditionally the core of the state’s GOP territory--to announce support Monday for President Clinton’s reelection.

Numbering about 20, the group included Palo Alto Mayor Lanie Wheeler, former Orange County Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, Orange County Republican Party Central Committee member William Dougherty and business representatives from Los Angeles and Orange counties.

The Republicans backing Clinton said they had become alienated from the GOP leadership, which, they said, advocated extreme positions. Several said they were abandoning their party’s presidential nominee, Bob Dole, because of his stands on abortion rights, the environment and gun control.

“I’m the mayor of a Republican city in the heart of Republican Orange County,” said Tracy Wills Worley, the mayor of Tustin. “But things have changed. The Republicans were off base on issues like education, the environment and women’s choice.”

The group’s members made their announcement at a news conference at Cristek Interconnects Inc., a defense electronics manufacturing firm in Anaheim.

It is unclear what political risk the Republicans were taking by endorsing Clinton. Although Orange County is the state’s most Republican area, recent polls have shown Dole and Clinton running nearly even in the area.

The group’s gathering did not go unattended by Republican Party activists. Outside the company warehouse, where the news conference was held, 12 supporters of the party’s standard-bearers gathered. “Turncoats,” read the sign carried by Ray White of Anaheim.

Tom Fuentes, chairman of the Orange County GOP, said the impact of the Republicans endorsing Clinton would be negligible, and claimed their actions were done for personal gain.

The Republicans backing Clinton denied being promised anything.