Radio Debate Turns Personal for Sherman, Hoffman

A Monday night debate between Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) and Republican challenger Randy Hoffman was marked by personal attacks as Sherman accused Hoffman of dodging the issues and Hoffman called Sherman a closet liberal and smooth-talking “career politician.”

At one point, Sherman insinuated that Hoffman’s company may have sold high-tech equipment to Syria and the Sudan, prompting outrage from Hoffman and a scolding from the moderator who told them: “I’m getting really tired of this carping.”

The hourlong radio debate was hosted by Beverly Kelley on KCLU-FM (88.3) in Thousand Oaks, the public radio station for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties that also reaches the western part of the San Fernando Valley.

The two are running against each other in the Nov. 3 election to represent the 24th District in Congress, which runs from Sherman Oaks to Malibu and includes Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Calabasas and Thousand Oaks.

Sherman participated long distance from Washington, via telephone, because Congress continues to struggle to finish its legislative business and adjourn so members can campaign for the election. Hoffman, who lives in Thousand Oaks, was in the studio.

The Clinton scandal received only minor attention after Kelley declared the program a “Monica Lewinsky-Free Zone.”

Hoffman, former president of Magellan Systems Inc., a San Dimas-based company that makes satellite-navigation devices, said it wasn’t an issue the campaign should be focused upon.

Sherman criticized Hoffman for not telling listeners how he would have voted on the proposal to conduct an impeachment inquiry. Sherman voted against the GOP proposal, saying the Republicans would use it to conduct an open-ended investigation of the president.

Hoffman attacked Sherman, who he said voted for legislation that benefited the Teamsters union and cable television companies and accepted thousands of dollars in contributions from them.

Sherman defended his votes, saying the measure relating to the Teamsters was for $7 million in federal support to ensure the union held fair elections. Sherman said he voted for a tax break for the cable TV industry while he was a member of the State Board of Equalization, but said the measure was co-sponsored by Republican Senate candidate Matt Fong.

Hoffman, who supports merit pay raises for teachers and ending tenure, accused Sherman of waiting until his reelection campaign to support the effort to break up the Los Angeles Unified School District, which Hoffman supports. Sherman said that was untrue, that he has supported the dismantling of the district since before 1996.

Shortly after the exchange, Hoffman declined to take a position on a popular Ventura County growth-control initiative on the November ballot--Save Our Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR)--saying it was not a federal issue.

Sherman pounced, calling Hoffman’s response “the most intellectually dishonest answer of this debate” because the Republican had brought up the school district breakup--which is not a federal issue either.

“What you heard there was big developers speaking,” Sherman said of his opponent.

Hoffman defended his environmental record, saying his company has donated thousands of dollars worth of equipment to help protect the Santa Monica Mountains and save endangered species worldwide.

Sherman criticized Hoffman for taking personal credit for those donations, saying it was the company’s stockholders who ended up paying. Sherman then demanded Hoffman reveal whether his company had sold satellite-navigation equipment to Syria or the Sudan, nations that have been accused of aiding anti-American terrorists.

An angry Hoffman never directly answered the question, but read a statement from Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praising Hoffman’s company for supplying equipment that aided U.S. troops in the Gulf War and for assisting the nation’s allies in the Middle East.

Both the Republicans and Democrats consider the 24th Congressional District to be within reach since its voters--45% Democrats by registration and 39% Republicans--tend to be middle of the road and a bit unpredictable. Republican Gov. Pete Wilson won the district two years ago, as did Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The Republicans consider Sherman to be one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress, because the freshman lawmaker won with only 49% of the vote in 1996 when he beat Republican Richard Sybert, a toy company executive in a three-way race.

Hoping to give Hoffman’s campaign an edge, a parade of prominent Republicans has traveled through Los Angeles to stump and raise money for the GOP nominee, including former presidential candidate Bob Dole and former Vice President Dan Quayle. Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich is scheduled to host a morning fund-raiser for Hoffman on Thursday, although the event may be canceled if the budget deadlock keeps the speaker in Washington.

Despite the backing of the GOP’s right-wing leadership, Hoffman said he differs with them on key social issues, saying he supports both abortion rights and the assault-weapons ban.