Hayden May Be Ready to Back Gore--and Bulworth, Too

One of them has not even announced yet whether he is running, but state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles) may be endorsing two people for president in next year’s election: Vice President Al Gore and Sen. Jay Bulworth.

Bulworth, movie watchers will recall, was a character played by Warren Beatty in the hit film by the same name--a scheming senator who finally got tired of politics as usual, stopped speaking in politically correct euphemisms, and started telling people the truth about how the game was really played and what actually needed to change.

Beatty, a longtime Democratic activist, now seems bent on imitating his art, teeing off in newspapers and on television on what he sees as Democrats’ abandonment of traditional party aims and any shred of substantive ideas.

He has mused about a run for the Oval Office to force his party to deal with issues they would rather ignore. But to date, Beatty has not formally announced any such plans.

Nevertheless, some of California’s maverick politicians are intrigued by his potential candidacy.

State Senate leader John Burton (D-San Francisco) has said he is considering endorsing Beatty instead of ex-jock and former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley or Gore, who seems to have the support of almost every Democratic pol in the state, including Gov. Gray Davis.

Likewise, Hayden, one of the politicians most connected to the Hollywood crowd, going back to his days as a 1960s radical, has been besieged lately with press inquiries regarding his buddy Beatty, according to his staff.

The New York Times recently reported that Hayden was “comfortable endorsing both Gore and Warren Beatty.” However, Hayden’s chief of staff, Rocky Rushing, said he does not believe Hayden has made up his mind, though he did not rule out a Beatty endorsement.

“Tom Hayden has not endorsed Warren Beatty, no,” Rushing said. “I think I would know about that. Then again, maybe I wouldn’t.”

Hayden could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

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A SPORTING GIFT: Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski was a good sport when cricket teams from India and Australia recently presented her with a signed cricket bat. Earlier, the councilwoman had stopped by to see the teams, which had flown to Woodley Avenue Park in Van Nuys for an international competition.

Cricket, as most Americans don’t know, is a wildly popular game in countries such as England and India. The sport has some elements that look like baseball, but a match can last days, yes, days.

So, Cindy, now you can go out and hit a few, right?

“Oh goodness, no,” she replied, grasping the long paddle-like bat. “I can’t even figure out how they hit it because the pitch is so close.”

Holding her freshly autographed “Kookaburra Gold Crown Super Blade” made of English willow, Miscikowski said she wasn’t quite sure what she would do with it.

One of her staffers, however, quickly joked that the bat could be used to motivate staff. One whack from that paddle, and consider the task done.

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PROSECUTORS BEWARE: The San Fernando Valley will probably be the source of some major political headaches for Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti when he stands for reelection next March.

Two prominent attorneys who live in the Valley are just weeks from formally announcing their candidacies to unseat Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor, and they may turn out to be Garcetti’s strongest challengers.

Calabasas resident Barry Groveman, the attorney for the environmental safety team investigating the toxic Belmont Learning Center site, said he is planning a campaign for district attorney.

Also, Head Deputy Dist. Atty, Steve Cooley, a resident of Toluca Lake, said he has already raised more than $150,000 to challenge his boss.

“I haven’t formally announced yet, but I will do so in the next couple of weeks,” said Cooley, who headed the district attorney’s San Fernando and Antelope Valley offices before being assigned to head the Welfare Fraud Unit.

Both Groveman and Cooley have been in the news lately. Cooley has received national attention for his success in prosecuting welfare fraud cases, while Groveman has been getting coverage for being on the front line attacking the school district’s handling of the Belmont project.

Groveman, who spent 10 years in the district attorney’s and city attorney’s offices, said he would bring that same “tough,” aggressive approach to the D.A.’s office.

“It’s that kind of attitude that is really lacking there,” Groveman said. “The D.A.’s office needs to be revitalized.”

Cooley also said it was time for a change.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement in this office, and it will start by removing Mr. Garcetti,” Cooley said.

Both challengers said they plan to make an issue of what they see as Garcetti’s failure to be aggressive in prosecuting police misconduct.

Bill Carrick, who is running Garcetti’s campaign, said he believes the district attorney has a good record of prosecuting police misconduct and is not politically vulnerable on the Los Angeles Police Department corruption issue, which he said is a problem within the LAPD’s Rampart Division.

“It’s a horrible mess. I don’t think anyone is going to be able to point a finger at Gil Garcetti,” Carrick said.

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2001: A CAMPAIGN ODYSSEY: A who’s who of Valley civic leaders is scheduled to gather tonight at the Encino home of Marcia Volpert, a former Department of Water and Power commissioner, to raise money for Councilman Mike Feuer’s candidacy for city attorney in 2001.

Feuer, whose council district extends from West Los Angeles to Van Nuys, has worked hard to put together a strong base of support in the San Fernando Valley, which traditionally has played a key role in citywide elections.

Those listed as co-hosts for tonight’s “Valley Celebration” include some well-known Valley leaders: former Assemblyman Richard Katz, actor Ed Begley Jr., Valley NAACP leader Zedar Broadous, elected charter commissioner Anne Finn, businessman Horace Heidt Jr., school board member Georgia Mercer, social service agency director Corinne Sanchez and Studio City homeowner leaders Tony Lucente and Polly Ward.

The $75-per-person event may be intended as more than just a fund-raiser. With political observers saying Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks) might still become a candidate, could it be that Feuer is trying to send a message to other potential candidates from the Valley about their ability to grab key support?

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DANCING FOOLS: What were those funny dance moves some staffers were practicing at lunchtime recently near the Los Angeles city attorney’s office?

It certainly wasn’t a languid lambada, or a sizzling salsa. It looked like the macarena, what with the funny arm gestures and all.

“It’s the LAPD,” two staffers chuckled in a hallway during lunch.

“Put your arms up,” she said, throwing one arm, then another, into the air.

“And put your arms behind your back,” said another, mimicking the well-known stance for arrestees who are about to be cuffed by the cops.

That arm action was accompanied by some snazzy hip moves.

Now that doesn’t sound like our city’s finest on an arrest. The only hip movements they demand are a brisk walk to the squad car.