O.C. meet-the-sheriff event brings political intrigue (7/17/08)

City council challengers making moves

By FRANK MICKADEIT / The Orange County Register

We'd normally be in a pretty dry stage, politically, this time of year - city councils and such going dark for weeks at a time and the politicians stopping fundraising in order to briefly and, with only partially feigned enthusiasm, raise their families. But the confluence of a few events has led to some political activity worth noting this week.

The first phenomenon is fallout from the rise of Sheriff Sandra Hutchens to four-star rank and the attendant rise of one of her major supporting organizations - the California Women's Leadership Association.

Typically, the CWLA might expect to draw, oh, three-dozen, mostly women, to its midsummer mixer. But Tuesday night when I walked up to Sapphire in Laguna Beach, I could barely make my way up the crowded steps onto the patio.

CWLA officer and Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche (recently introduced in public, to Curt Pringle's surprise, as "Orange County's favorite mayor") estimated the crowd on the patio alone at more than 200. The fact that Hutchens was going to be in attendance for a meet-and-greet and that the CWLA has become a player in OC politics boosted attendance way beyond expectations - and probably the fire code.

I saw people I hadn't seen in months, if not years, from Gary and Collene Campbell to former Mission Viejo City Councilman Bill Craycraft. I was standing with Craycraft, in fact, when a middle-aged couple came up and introduced themselves. "We're constituents of yours," the man said, vigorously shaking Craycraft's hand. "You're doing a great job." Craycraft left office four years ago, giving weight to the Register's official philosophy that politicians do their best work when they do nothing.

Later, there was a small dinner party among Hutchens, her husband, Larry, the Vandermosts, the Campbells, T-Rack and a few others.

I thought I'd low-key it and just order a couple of appetizers. But when my three little seasoned chicken kebabs arrived, rather than being on an unobtrusive bread plate, they arrived at the table - unlike everyone else's full meal - on a small stove carved out of a rock, with a still-warm charcoal in the bottom.

"I think this is some JuaneÃ±o artifact they dug up when they were building this place," I told Phil Vandermost.

So rather than being the fly on the wall every journalist wants to be in that situation - people forgetting you're even there - all of a sudden my pre-Columbian hibachi was the subject of great discussion. Where did you getthese? Phil asked Chef Azmin Ghahreman when he came by. "China," the chef replied. "You like?"

Yeah. I'll just make sure to order at the bar next time.

Also braving the insane Laguna summer traffic to attend the mixer were two North County political hopefuls - insurance man and third generation Anaheimian John Karczynski and longtime Orange (when she's not living in Newport) resident Carol Rudat.

Which brings up the second phenomenon that has me telling you there's actually some movement now in the political world: This week marks the beginning of the four-week period when candidates can take out papers for the Nov. 4 city council races.

Both Karczynski and Rudat would be trying to unseat incumbent council members. He's going after Lorri Galloway in Anaheim. Rudat, I'm just guessing, is going after Jon Dumitruand Tita Smith in Orange. There will be other challengers in those cities, for sure, but these two would seem to have the best shots.

Harry Sidhu is also up for re-election in Anaheim, but there's speculation he might sit out and run for mayor when Pringle leaves in 2010. But if Sidhu runs, Karczynski, who touts himself as a conservative Republican, will be targeting Galloway, who is a Democrat - albeit a Democrat with a lot of Republican friends. In fact, when she ran the first time, Republicans like Tom Tait who wanted to endorse her just assumed she was one of them. So that will be a good race.

And remember it was Rudat who was embroiled in that whole trumped-up Denis Bilodeau sign-stealing B.S., so there's no telling how wacky that race could get.



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