Many Candidates Fail to Respond to Survey on Issues

Dozens of California politicians are drawing flak for dodging a national survey designed to illuminate where candidates for office stand on such major issues as abortion and gun control.

The questionnaire was sent to 393 California candidates -- including state legislators, members of Congress and challengers for those offices -- by Project Vote Smart, a national, nonpartisan research group founded by Jimmy Carter, Geraldine Ferraro, Gerald Ford and John McCain. Candidate answers are posted on the Internet at www.vote-smart.org.

But only half of this year’s candidates for state legislative office and 56% of the contenders for Congress returned the California National Political Awareness Test. The survey is called a test because part of its purpose is to identify which candidates are willing to fully disclose their positions on important issues.

“Voters should expect no less of political candidates than they would of anyone applying for an important job,” said Richard Kimball, president of Project Vote Smart. “Unfortunately, these results in California show, for the first time, the influence of a national trend for political candidates to refuse to show up for the job interview.”

Those who did not return the survey in California included Reps. Xavier Becerra, Howard Berman, David Dreier, Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, Dana Rohrabacher, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Hilda Solis, Diane Watson and Henry Waxman. Among state legislators, those who failed to return the test included Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Assembly members Carol Liu, Cindy Montanez, Keith Richman and Todd Spitzer.

Some of those who skipped the test said they worried that the information might be used by their opponents, while others said they were bombarded by surveys and could not respond to every one. “If Mr. Berman fills out all of the questionnaires he gets, he would not be able to do any other work,” said Gene Smith, a spokeswoman for the congressman.

In the 49th Assembly District, the test was taken by Assemblywoman Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Republican challenger Sandra L. Needs and Libertarian challenger Laura Brown. A sample: Chu would increase alcohol and cigarette taxes, Needs would keep them at current levels and Brown would eliminate them.

‘Dweebs’ Loyal to Dreier Accused of Hacking Poll

Popular afternoon drive-time radio shock jocks John & Ken -- John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou on KFI-AM (640) -- insist that unnamed campaign “dweebs” loyal to Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) hacked into an Internet poll the radio show was conducting last week.

The poll was to choose a Republican member of Congress to target for defeat in November as a protest against congressional inaction in dealing with illegal immigration. Why? “We decided to ‘sacrifice’ a Republican congressman for pandering to the illegals because they should know better (Democrats are obviously useless on the issue),” the show’s website proclaims.

John and Ken leveled their allegation because Dreier was leading the poll after the first day and then -- after the poll was flooded with more than 100,000 “votes” -- Dreier dropped to third place. Dreier’s office denied manipulating the poll.

“It sounds like John and Ken learned how to run an election the way they used to do it in Mexico,” said Dreier spokeswoman Jo Maney.

Garcetti and Reyes Row, Row, Row Their Boats

As political races go, a contest last week between Los Angeles City Councilmen Eric Garcetti and Ed Reyes was like something out of the nautical movie “Master and Commander” but without cannons.

The contest was the “political” heat of the annual “dragon boat” races at Echo Park Lake, which were held as part of this year’s Lotus Festival.

A boat crewed by Mayor James K. Hahn’s staff, the S.S. JKH, tied a boat helmed by Garcetti and powered by rowers from Garcetti’s office. Finishing behind the leaders was the boat of Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) and finishing last were Reyes and his deputies.

Although Garcetti and Reyes were aboard their boats, Hahn stayed ashore so he could make calls on the state budget, an aide said. Each dragon boat contained seven rowers and a drummer, and the race was held in Garcetti’s 13th Council District.

“I think that the weeks of practice and the dedicated row instructor hired by both the mayor’s office and Garcetti really paid off for them this year,” Reyes taunted. “Me? I just don’t take this stuff that seriously.”

Fired back Garcetti: “Nobody comes to your home turf and takes away the crown. Ed’s district begins across the street, and I’m sure if we were rowing in MacArthur Park, he would have done much better.”

Fitness Fans Won’t Get to Pose With Governor

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to keep his ties to bodybuilding and movies even while he is governor.

But in a letter to fans of his bodybuilding tournament and fitness convention, the Arnold Classic, he reveals one change that his new life has wrought: Fans will not be able to get a picture with him next year.

For years, Schwarzenegger cultists, as part of a $350 VIP ticket package, have received a photo with their hero as part of the weekend. But the governor says in the letter that for the March 2005 event, “security constraints will not permit scheduling a VIP photo session.”

The governor’s aides offered a slightly less dramatic explanation, saying state duties might require him to miss the photo sessions. “He didn’t want to promise something and not be able to deliver on the promise,” an aide said.

Points Taken

* Demonstrating why they call it the Golden State, Karl Rove, the chief political strategist for President Bush, was booked for four California fundraisers in two days last week, including events at the home of San Diego Charger owner Alex Spanos, the Regency Club in Los Angeles, in Orange County and another in San Jose. The strategist’s tour came as Bush reportedly plans a campaign trip to Southern California next month, said Linda Boyd, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County.

* The first lady of California, Maria Shriver, has created the Minerva Award to honor women who “through creative innovation, passion, commitment and groundbreaking accomplishments” have created “significant change, with lasting impact, to the people of California.” Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, is on the state seal.

* Iraq and the Middle East will be among the topics when Henry Kissinger, President Nixon’s secretary of State, visits the Nixon Library & Birthplace on Tuesday for a lecture on the current state of America’s foreign affairs. After the lecture, Kissinger will autograph his two newest books, “Ending the Vietnam War: A History of America’s Involvement in and Extrication From the Vietnam War” and “Crisis: The Anatomy of Two Major Foreign Policy Crises.”

* The Army has sought out Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick for advice in creating an inspector general’s office in Baghdad. Chick provided such materials as her office’s organization chart and information on how to conduct audits.

You Can Quote Me

“What color tie will Arnold wear to the signing ceremony? Name the dominant color if it’s multicolored.”

-- Question in a “budget pool” circulating among lobbyists and legislative aides at the state Capitol that had bettors not only guessing when the budget would be approved but Schwarzenegger’s fashion preferences as well.

Contributing this week were Times staff writers Joe Mathews and Jean O. Pasco.