Dornan May Split GOP’s Unity Rally

Broadening a personal dispute, former congressman Robert K. Dornan on Friday threatened to boycott an Orange County Republican unity rally this month featuring House Speaker Newt Gingrich as the drawing card.

Dornan said he would stay away from the June 29 “national town meeting” hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee unless Gingrich invites him personally by telephone.

“He had better call me; that is the problem,” said Dornan, who handily won the GOP primary two weeks ago even though some congressmen and local Republican leaders opposed him--and Gingrich gave him no support.

“Gingrich asks for all this loyalty but gives out none,” Dornan said, adding that Gingrich has not called him in 19 months. “Is a phone call too much to ask from a guy I gave my vote to when he won the Republican whip job by two votes in 1989? If there is no call from Newt, there is no reason for me to go and let him pretend he is supporting me.”

Behind the scenes this week, county Republican leaders tried to soothe Dornan, fearing that the dispute could weaken efforts to beat Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) and other Democrats running on her coattails for the state Legislature in central Orange County.

Through a spokesman, Gingrich said he and the national Republican Party endorse Dornan and “will do everything we can to get him elected.”

“You can’t have an Orange County Republican rally without Bob Dornan . . . and it would benefit everyone if he showed up,” said Gingrich spokesman Mike Shields. “I am not going to comment on whether Newt calls or talks to him. . . . Newt could call him, but Newt doesn’t get involved in asking any of the other guys either.”

Democrats were chuckling at the prospect of more dissension among Republicans, especially after the bruising primary in the 46th Congressional District.

In Congress early in the week, Democrats even handed out copies of wire reports of a syndicated radio show in which Dornan accused Gingrich of ineptitude and of deserting social conservatives and costing the GOP seats in the House in 1996.

Animosity between the two has been building for several years, coming to a head after the Republican Congress in February rejected Dornan’s challenge to Sanchez’s election victory. Dornan said he told Gingrich after the vote: “ ‘Did it ever occur to you how much better a friend I am to you than you are to me?’ He stared at me like a goober.”

Gambling that his confrontational style will pay off with voters and in his campaign account, Dornan also questioned why his former House Republican colleagues have delayed reimbursing his campaign the $464,000 in legal bills spent challenging the 1996 election loss. The House agreed in February to reimburse legitimate expenses but so far has taken no action.

Dornan accused Gingrich of withholding the money through the primary in the hopes that he would be defeated by another Republican. “Now, if they don’t pay off, then that is a direct sign that they are trying to destroy my comeback,” he said.

County GOP leader Tom Fuentes and a National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman dismissed the idea that Gingrich or other GOP leaders would withhold full backing of Dornan.

“The speaker is totally dedicated to the election of all Republican nominees,” Fuentes said.

Dornan also took umbrage at not being given stage time at the local rally. Gingrich’s organizers said only incumbent representatives are being invited on the dais with Gingrich, adding that perhaps only he and Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) would speak. The unity event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Orange County Fairgrounds, which is in Cox’s district.

As important as the clash of egos is Dornan’s need for reimbursement for the cost of the 14-month election challenge. In mid-May, he had only $64,307 in cash, despite raising about $2 million in the past 18 months. He described his contributor list as “almost tapped out.”

Dornan said that with $400,000 he could fund much of his campaign. “I don’t have nearly as viable a campaign without it,” he said.

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Sanchez, meanwhile, has raised more than $2 million and has more than $1 million in the bank. She too is seeking $421,000 for legal bills, but because of the way she raised the money, it cannot be used in her campaign.

A decision on paying the legal bills could come next week, said House Oversight Committee spokesman Jason Poblete. The House in February gave Oversight Chairman Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Bakersfield) the authority to decide the issue.

GOP State Chairman Mike Schroeder, who represented Dornan in the election challenge, said “it is hard to understand why” Dornan hasn’t been reimbursed. If Dornan doesn’t get the money soon, he said, many Republicans would “hold Bill Thomas responsible for losing a very winnable and crucial seat.”