Conservative Group Tepidly Backs Zschau

WASHINGTON —  The American Conservative Union, releasing its annual political report card Tuesday for members of Congress, gave a relatively lukewarm rating to Rep. Ed Zschau (R-Los Altos), who, the group’s chairman said, needs to “mend his fences” with the right but is still a better choice than Democratic Sen. Alan Cranston in this fall’s Senate race in California.

Six senators and eight House members received perfect scores from the organization, whose ratings are highly regarded among conservative groups. The organization, which based its rankings on what it considered key votes in 1985, rates lawmakers on a scale from 0, indicating the least conservative, to 100 for most conservative.

Zschau received a 57, well below the average of 77 for Republican House members. However, he was ranked far higher on the conservative scale than Cranston, who received a 4--putting him among the most liberal members of the Senate. Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), who does not face reelection this year, received a 77.

Reasons for Rating

“If I were a Californian, and I’m not, I’d be out pounding the streets and knocking on doors telling people to elect Ed Zschau,” said David Keene, chairman of the conservative group.

However, Keene said, Zschau needs to “mend his fences with conservatives” after opposing military aid last year to rebels fighting the communist regime in Nicaragua and opposing President Reagan’s nomination of Indiana lawyer Daniel A. Manion to the federal bench earlier this year.

Zschau will get a chance to raise his conservative stock next year, when the organization will take into consideration his support this year for $100 million in military aid to the rebels, known as contras .

Zschau spokesman Jim DeMunyon, noting that the congressman has been building conservative appeal, said: “There’s a big difference between Zschau and Cranston, and we need to keep a Republican Senate.”

Dole Scores High

The American Conservative Union gave a higher score than it did last year to Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), whose appeal to conservatives could be a key factor in his presidential prospects in 1988.

Dole, who continued a trend of steadily rising ratings from the group in the last few years, scored a 91 in his first year as majority leader--an 11-point increase from 1984.

Perfect conservative scores in the Senate went to Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), the late John P. East (R-N.C.), James A. McClure (R-Ida.), Steven D. Symms (R-Ida.), Jake Garn (R-Utah) and Chic Hecht (R-Nev.).

House members receiving perfect scores were Bob Stump of Arizona; Dan Burton of Indiana; Bill Archer, Joe L. Barton, Beau Boulter, Larry Combest and Tom DeLay of Texas, and Wyoming’s Dick Cheney. All are Republicans.