Kerry Stumps Angelenos With Evening Stroll

Sen. John F. Kerry has apparently never heard that nobody walks in Los Angeles.

In town for his daughter’s film school graduation Tuesday, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee had a hankering for what aides described as a “quiet stroll” through the neighborhood around his Westwood hotel.

Wearing a green polo shirt and khakis, the Massachusetts senator headed into the balmy California evening -- flanked by eight Secret Service agents, three aides, a Los Angeles Police Department squad car, an unmarked car and a few LAPD motorcycles. A gaggle of reporters trailed behind him.

The entourage drew stares and double takes as Kerry walked through Westwood and onto the UCLA campus.

Passersby asked the candidate if he was in town to give a speech.

“I’m just taking a walk,” Kerry said, as he inquired about exam schedules and asked for directions to Drake Stadium.

Students called out, “We’re voting for you,” as Kerry waved, gave thumbs-up signs and posed for photos. People whipped out their cellphones to tell friends which way he was headed.

As Kerry headed back to his hotel, he passed a couple of medical students wearing white jackets. One stared in apparent disbelief. “That’s John Kerry,” the man said. The woman with him asked: “Who’s John Kerry?”

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Utah Comeback Bid

Enid Greene, former Republican congresswoman from Utah, is making a return to politics.

Greene, a celebrated Capitol Hill freshman in 1994 -- and one of the few women to give birth while in office -- was eventually brought down by the financial misdeeds of her husband, Joseph Waldholtz.

Waldholtz was convicted of stealing millions from Greene’s father to help fund her campaign, and later embezzled funds from his late father’s estate.

But after maintaining a low profile in Salt Lake City since the 1995 scandal, Greene is back. She’s running for Utah’s lieutenant governor on a ticket with gubernatorial candidate Nolan Karras.

“I chose the wrong man once, and I’m not about to do it again,” Greene said to the Salt Lake Tribune at a state party convention last month.

Karras is challenging Jon Huntsman Jr. in Utah’s Republican primary June 22.

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Her Own Candidate

Chrissy Gephardt, daughter of former Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, will make the leap from real-life politics to the politics of reality TV as a contestant on Showtime’s “American Candidate.”

The program will track 12 people through their 10-week televised race for the presidency as candidates are eliminated each week by audience vote. Talk show veteran Montel Williams will host the show, which premieres Aug. 1.

Gephardt, a mental health worker, campaigned for her father, a Missouri congressman, this year. Rep. Gephardt left the race in late January after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses.

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Who’s Counting?

21,185: Number of signatures gathered by supporters of independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader to put him on the Arizona ballot.

14,694: Number of signatures required to qualify there.

$250,000: Amount retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark is seeking from supporters to pay off expenses from his failed presidential campaign.

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Duly Quoted

“Earlier today, President Bush met with the new Iraqi president. And you know, this new Iraqi president, he’s just an interim guy; he’ll only serve until the next Iraqi president comes along. It’s just like being married to Jennifer Lopez.” -- David Letterman on CBS’ “Late Show” on Wednesday.

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Compiled from staff, Web and wire reports by Times staff researcher Susannah Rosenblatt.