Ready for fireworks

Barbara Diamond

Laguna’s Democrats, Republicans and a coalition of both got a jump on

the traditional July 4 kickoff of political campaigns.

The Laguna Beach Democratic Club held a fundraiser Sunday. The

Laguna Beach Republican Club laid out its strategy for the national

and City Council elections June 23. A new nonpartisan group hosted a

John Kerry fundraiser Saturday.

DEMOCRATS

“This is the most important election of my lifetime,” said Eleanor

Finney at the Democratic Club fundraiser held at the North Laguna

home of Frank and Lee Winocur-Field.

About 50 people attended.

Proceeds were split between the club and the John Kerry campaign,

beating the deadline for direct contributions to the presumptive

Democratic candidate that ends when national funding begins. Funds

donated to the club will be used to rent a campaign headquarters in

town.

Jane Egly, vice president of the club and a candidate for City

Council, introduced guest speaker Frank Barbaro. Barbaro, a Laguna

Beach resident, chairs the Orange County Democratic Central Committee

and the Southern California Kerry for President Committee.

“I am proud of what we are trying to do,” Barbaro said. “I have

relatives in Europe and our image around the world is disgusting.”

Barbaro has been a Kerry supporter since 2001. “It was an

exploratory committee at that point, but I hung in there for Kerry

because I thought he was the best guy,” Barbaro said.

Barbaro was one of the hosts of a fundraiser July 24 in Los

Angeles that raised a record $5 million for Kerry.

In a two-day event that ended the same day in San Francisco, $4.5

million was raised.

“That’s $9.5 million in two days,” Barbaro said. “It shows that

the little guys count ... what we can do when we band together.”

However, money is not the sole key to success in November,

according to Barbaro.

“It is you who will take us to victory on Nov. 2,” Barbaro told

the folks at the local fundraiser.

Volunteers will be needed to talk up the Kerry campaign and

distribute absentee ballots to registered Democrats.

Absentee ballots are like banked votes, Barbaro said.

“There are 1,861 precincts in Orange County,” Barbaro said. “We

hope by the end of July to have captains in every precinct

registering Democrats and distributing absentee ballots.

Every city will have a captain to coordinate the precinct

captains.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman is Laguna’s city captain.

Barbaro said this election is charged with the vitality of young

people, whose interest in politics has been recaptured, as well as

energized Democrats.

“I have not seen this kind of excitement since I became involved

with politics, starting with John Kennedy,” Barbaro said. “I am

wearing a Kerry button and I have never done that in my life.”

The unprecedented response to “Fahrenheit 911” is an indication of

the national desire for a new direction, Barbaro said.

“We are coming up with a bumper sticker: “Vote Republican. It’s

easier than thinking,” Barbaro said.

The long lines outside the theaters showing “Fahrenheit 911”

afford an opportunity for Democrats to plead their case.

“We had people registering in the [waiting] lines, 302 people

registered in one night,” Barbaro said.

The party is reaching out to supporters of other Democratic

candidates who did not survive the primary season, to disenchanted

Republicans, to the growing list of Independents and those who want

“Anybody But Bush,” according to Barbaro.

Laguna Beach Democratic Club endorses national, state and local

candidates, but does not solicit out-of-town donations, according to

member Anne Johnson.

The club meets regularly at 7 p.m., on the second Thursday of the

month at the Laguna Beach Board of Realtors building, 939 Glenneyre

St., and refreshments are served. Everyone is invited. For more

information, visit https://www.lagunabeach

democraticclub.com. For more information about the national

Democratic campaign or to volunteer, call (714) 543-9467.

REPUBLICANS

Frank Ricchiazzi laid out the local Republican Club strategy for

the party faithful at Hennessey’s.

“This meeting is to get organized for the general election,” said

Ricchiazzi, club co-chair with Ann McDonald. “Our goal is to get

volunteers to call their Republican neighbors to get out the vote. We

are also encouraging young Republicans to get involved and we would

like to see every Republican have an absentee ballot.”

Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats in Laguna

Beach, Ricchiazzi said.

“Our stats are very high,” he said. “We are just a quiet group,

more dignified -- but when election day comes, we always win.”

Club officials are looking for a site to hold a party near the end

of the campaign.

“On the last weekend in October, the club will host a major party

with invitations extended to state and national legislators and the

county Republican leaders,” he said.

Partygoers will be asked to call 50 neighbors the last week before

the election and say, “Hi, I’m your Republican neighbor. Can we look

forward to seeing you at our polling place?”

“We need 50 volunteers to cover the city,” Ricchiazzi said.

Permanent absentee voters, like Ricchiazzi, or those who have

requested absentee ballots won’t need to be contacted, he said.

“I also have found out that donations of $100 or more to George

Bush go to Washington D.C., but who gets out the vote?,” Ricchiazzi

said. “We do.

“I would like to get out a letter saying we appreciate [the donor]

giving money to Bush, but we are the ones who get out the vote. It

will get us new members.”

Ricchiazzi said Laguna has about 1,000 more registered Republicans

than Democrats.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to increase that to 1,400,” Ricchiazzi said.

“It would all but guarantee that our candidates would win.”

Club members approved Ricchiazzi’s proposal to spend $50 to

reserve a table at the League of Women Voters Election Fair scheduled

for Oct. 2 at Laguna Beach High School. Club volunteers will be asked

to staff the table.

Ricchiazzi said the Orange County Republican Central Committee

will get involved in the Laguna Beach election. Candidates who are

endorsed by the local club will have their names included on the

doorknob hangers distributed by the county.

Two council seats and the City Clerk’s job are open.

“If three Republicans run for council we will have a meeting, and

if we have a 75 percent vote, we will accept the endorsement of two

of them,” Ricchiazzi said.

He also proposed sending the central committee $1,000 to seek out

nonregistered Republicans.

“I have one individual who will contribute $2,000 to send a check

to the county to zero in on Laguna Beach,” Ricchiazzi said. “Part of

the county strategy is to set up tables at markets. We really need

volunteers and we would like a coordinator.”

About 25 people attended the club’s June meeting. The club is

aiming to double that at future meetings.

“Once the campaign starts, the political juices will rise,”

Ricchiazzi said. “When we see Kerry on TV, we’ll look for the darts.

“Everything now is an opera. I am preparing for the finale.”

Ricchiazzi, who has been honored as a founder of the Log Cabin

Club to give gay Republicans a voice, has been selected as a

delegate-at-large to the Republican National Convention to be held in

August in New York.

“They pick three delegates and three alternates from each

congressional district, and only 20 at-large delegates to represent

the whole state, so it’s a real honor to be chosen,” Ricchiazzi said.

The Republican Club of Laguna Beach was chartered by the county

Central Republican Committee in 1992. Campaign financial statements

are filed with the county Registrar of Voters.

Meetings will be held about the third Wednesday of every month at

Hennessey’s until the election. Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson will

be the speaker at the July 21 meeting.

For more information about the club, to volunteer or to make

donations, call (949) 494-6961 or (949) 494-0250.

NONPARTISAN

It wasn’t the usual suspects that showed up Saturday for a John

Kerry fundraiser at John O’Neill and Jim Palmer’s Villa Villagio.

“About 90% were new faces,” said long-time resident Joie Jones.

“And they were all younger than me.”

About 130 people attended the fundraiser, organized by All ’04

One, a nonpartisan, grass-roots group founded in Laguna Beach and not

affiliated with any national organization.

To date, the group has raised almost $26,000, including the

donations Saturday, according to Barbara McMurray, one of the four

founders.

McMurray and fellow founders Lisa Black, Robin Rounaghi and Brendy

Michael didn’t even know that the Kerry campaign had selected June 26

for the National House Party Night when they chose the date for their

fundraiser.

“It was just serendipitous,” said McMurray.

Underwriters paid for the libations, the valet parking and the

food, which was catered by Cafe Zinc.

The highlight of the event was the recorded telephone call by

Kerry, McMurray said.

“It was just a joyous event,” she said. “Everyone was hugging and

high-fiving and saying I didn’t know you were one of us.”

To get on the group’s mailing list or to make contributions, visit

www.all04one.com or call (494) 494-5388.