‘I’ Word Absent During President’s Trip, Sherman Says

So tumultuous are these times for President Clinton, the joke goes, that he had to travel to Israel to find peace.

But according to Rep. Brad Sherman, who accompanied Clinton on this week’s trip as part of a 15-member congressional delegation, the president was able to drown out the drumbeat of impeachment and focus on building peace among Israelis and Palestinians.

Really, he was.

“If you had been posted to the Los Angeles Times Mars bureau and had just come back for this trip, you would not have known [the impeachment process] was even going on,” said Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks). “This man has incredible focus.

“If he does lose his job, he should consider becoming a salesman of vitamins or exercise equipment, because he is incredibly convincing,” Sherman added. “Whatever he’s selling, I’m buying.”

Most observers concluded that Clinton’s peace mission, which included a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, netted few results. Netanyahu is on the political ropes himself, facing a no-confidence vote amid an attack from his government’s right-wing forces.

Nevertheless, Sherman said he saw many reasons for optimism in Israeli-Palestinian and U.S.-Palestinian relations.

As the delegation traveled down a street in Gaza bedecked with stars and stripes, a Palestinian official quipped, “We acquired a lot of American flags for this visit. It’s going to take us five years to burn them all.”

Such humor, Sherman thought, symbolized a friendlier atmosphere.

Although Clinton was quizzed about the scandal at seemingly every stop, Sherman said he never discussed the House’s pending impeachment vote until the delegation was heading home Tuesday on Air Force One. And even then, Clinton had a lot of other things on his mind: The United Nations’ chief weapons inspector had just declared in a report that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had failed to restore cooperation with arms monitors, which led to Wednesday’s airstrikes.

Sherman joked before the trip that those who agreed to vote against impeachment would probably catch a ride with Air Force One, while those who didn’t might have to make the jaunt in the belly of a Navy laundry plane.

But in all seriousness, he said, Clinton hardly seemed interested in discussing impeachment at all.

“We had a free-ranging discussions that started on the Middle East and went on to the international economy,” Sherman said. “Then a few of us dragged the subject to this.

“It was a relaxed discussion. It’s funny, but the discussion only entered the conversation when the plane was pointed to Washington. At that point, you could ignore it no more.”

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A STONEY POINT: City Councilman Hal Bernson, environmentalist?

Some clean-air activists don’t think the title fits Bernson and are disappointed that Mayor Richard Riordan has decided to nominate the conservative west San Fernando Valley councilman to the board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Bernson, who is generally viewed by environmentalists as pro-business, fills a vacancy on the regional anti-smog board caused by Richard Alarcon’s election to the state Senate. Before Alarcon, that post was held for years by environmentalist Councilman Marvin Braude.

“I’m not aware of any environmental issue that [Bernson] has championed in his tenure on the council,” said Tim Carmichael, executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air.

Carmichael said Bernson, as a member of the MTA board, has not been a proponent of clean-fuel buses.

“I don’t get it,” Carmichael said of the appointment.

Bernson, whose nomination must be approved in an election of other city representatives, said Carmichael is mistaken.

“I’ve probably authored more environmental legislation than any member of the council,” Bernson said, citing his oak tree preservation ordinance and his efforts to get the city to acquire Stoney Point for a park.

Riordan is known to want to make the AQMD and other government agencies more friendly to business. The AQMD has been criticized in the past by businesses for being too harsh on smog-producing companies, although environmentalists have argued that the agency has been too soft on polluters.

Carmichael said the appointment was particularly disappointing because there were other Los Angeles City Council members with stronger environmental credentials who competed for the AQMD seat, including Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski.

“If you are of an environmental mind at all, it’s cutting edge, it’s where decisions are made on the single most important environmental issue,” said Glenn Barr, to explain why his boss, Miscikowski, wanted the post.

Bernson’s nomination to the AQMD is the second coveted appointment he has received from Riordan this year. Earlier in the year, the mayor named him to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board.

Some at City Hall see the appointments as a sign of Bernson’s increasing importance to the mayor as an ally. Councilman Richard Alatorre, another Riordan ally, is currently facing the distraction of drug rehabilitation and a federal investigation into his personal finances.

Bernson downplays the political significance of getting two key appointments from the mayor.

“[Riordan] thinks I can handle the job for the city,” Bernson said.

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HOLIDAY CHEER: One thing about the holidays, even political foes can set aside differences over a bowl of eggnog and enjoy a good party.

That appeared to be the case last week when Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard Parks made an appearance at the annual Christmas party held by the Police Protective League.

You may remember, the league is the same group with whom Parks battled all year long.

At one point in August when the feud became particularly nasty, Parks referred to the league’s board of directors as a group of “nine tired old men” who he said were out of touch with the rank and file.

Union leaders spent the year accusing Parks of being autocratic, out of touch and of using the LAPD’s disciplinary process to silence critics.

But none of the vitriol was present last Friday when Parks attended the league’s popular Christmas party at Union Station, along with other notables including Riordan and Gov.-elect Gray Davis.

“We disagree on issues but we’re still able to be civil,” said League President Dave Hepburn, who still kids Parks about the “tired old men” remark.

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DINNER WITH THE MAYOR: Mayor Riordan poked fun at himself in the invitation he sent out for a holiday reception at his downtown eatery--the Original Pantry.

Last year at Thanksgiving time, the mayor’s restaurant was closed for a day by county health inspectors for more than 30, mostly minor, violations. It later received a bad grade from inspectors.

In the invitation, Riordan leaves no doubt that his restaurant has cleaned up its act: It displays a county health department sticker with an “A” grade, using it in the heading that says “Mayor Richard J. Riordan invites you to A Special Holiday Reception.”