POLITICS ASIDE -- s.j. cahn

With the announced retirement of South County’s Rep. Ron Packard,

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) can breathe a huge sigh of

relief. While Bob Dornan has not yet decided whether he will run to fill

Packard’s seat, he has taken his sights off of Rohrabacher’s.

“My friend Dana Rohrabacher ... despite treating me badly, he’s home

free,” Dornan said Friday from his Virginia home. “I endorse him.”

Dornan had been toying with the idea of running against Rohrabacher, with

whom he has a tense personal relationship, since he lost a rematch with

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) last year.

Now, he’s considering whether to jump into what could be a crowded

Republican field or stay a radio and TV personality, which gives him a

national platform for his conservative message.

“Team Dornan” -- essentially his family -- are huddling, and the

opinions are mixed, Dornan said. He may hold a press conference as soon

as Wednesday or Thursday with a decision.

The family debate, Dornan said, is about how he can best serve his

country: returning to Congress or remaining a conservative spokesman on

his radio show and as a guest commentator for Fox News.

Dornan also said he’s not interested in returning to Congress if the

Democrats win back a majority, so the GOP’s narrow and precarious control

is a factor in his thinking.

He said his own polling shows that he has the highest name recognition

in Packard’s 48th District, making him confident he could win the seat.

“Whoever wins the primary ... will be the Congress person,” Dornan

stated.

While Dornan’s run isn’t yet a sure thing, one thing is certain: If

former GOP Senate hopeful and millionaire Darrell Issa runs, Dornan won’t

make it easy on him.

“If I don’t go, I’ll make sure he doesn’t make it,” Dornan said.

Another thing that’s for sure, Rohrabacher is sleeping a whole lot

easier.

“Obviously, I will be relieved to not have a major primary fight,”

Rohrabacher said, adding that he didn’t want to speculate on a future

Dornan race, other than to say “I’m happy that it won’t be against me.”

The loser in this news is Democrat Ted Crisell, who is running to

unseat Rohrabacher. One of his greatest hopes was that Dornan and

Rohrabacher would tear each other apart, and spend lots of money to do

so.

Now, he admits, he’s an even longer shot than before.

“We’re going to just go forward no matter what,” he said. “We’ll talk

about what the priorities will be for the 21st century.”

* S.J. CAHN is city editor of the Daily Pilot. Send your political news

to him at: Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa 92627; by fax at (949)

646-4170; or by e-mail to dailypilot@latimes.com. He can be reached at

(949) 574-4268.