Clinton to Be in Santa Ana on Thursday

Stepping into Republican territory for the second time in over a year, President Clinton will visit Thursday for a campaign stop expected to attract thousands, Mayor Miguel A. Pulido Jr. said Monday.

Clinton will speak from the steps of the Old Orange County Courthouse, an ornate downtown building often used in movie scenes and constructed in 1900 of red sandstone.

Julie Buckner, a spokeswoman with the California Democratic Party, said Orange County has special appeal to Clinton because it is traditionally a Republican stronghold.

“The president went to Orange County four years ago,” Buckner said. “The campaign intends to run just as strong, if not stronger, in 1996.”

She added that Clinton’s visit shows that he is committed to winning California.

One recent poll shows Clinton ahead of Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole in California by about 10 percentage points.

Buckner expected the president to talk about the economy and the number of police he has helped put on the street. The local visit will come the day after the second presidential debate, which will be held in San Diego.

In announcing the visit, Pulido highlighted a number of federal programs in Santa Ana that he said were success stories.

Santa Ana, for example, has received millions of federal crime bill dollars to hire the equivalent of about 70 officers.

Pulido also cited the AmeriCorps public service program in Santa Ana, and a loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help build the city’s new jail and police facility.

Buckner said Clinton has not been in Orange County since September 1995.

During that visit to the Santa Ana Boys and Girls Club, Clinton gave a get-tough-on-crime speech and was flanked by 15 of the city’s federally funded “Clinton cops.”

Pulido said that for months--almost since the last presidential visit--he has lobbied White House officials for another visit by citing the federal programs here.

Officials said the courthouse, which now houses administrative offices and a museum, was not meant to convey law and order, but was chosen for its easy access and its architecture.

“When you see it with bunting on the windows,” one campaign official said, “it will look great.”

The rally is expected to last from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Members of the public are invited to attend.

Officials said streets surrounding the courthouse will be sealed off, and rally participants will have to pass through metal detectors.

Pulido said that while Clinton’s visit is for people throughout Orange County, he took special pride that Clinton is visiting Santa Ana.

“The president can go anywhere,” Pulido said, “and he chose to come here.”