California Congressional Elections 1992

Meeting for their second debate in as many days, Democrat Dianne Feinstein and Republican John Seymour agreed Sunday that the United States has a moral obligation to play world peacekeeper, but the two U.S. Senate candidates agreed about little else. Former San Francisco Mayor Feinstein said the United States should work to protect human rights in the war-torn republics that once made up Yugoslavia, even if such an effort requires strategic air strikes by a multinational military force.

In many ways, the race for the 36th Congressional District is a classic, big-bucks confrontation between a conservative and a liberal, both of them strong-minded candidates, with voters making their decisions on flash-point issues. But because two women are waging battle, the race for the newly drawn coastal district is as different from past politics as the district itself.

John H. Rousselot, the former California congressman who once was an official of the ultra-conservative John Birch Society, said Friday that he hopes to make a political comeback by running for Congress in northern Los Angeles County. Since he lost a 1982 congressional reelection bid, Rousselot has worked as a Washington lobbyist and assistant to former President Ronald Reagan.

Some like their politics nasty. But the candidates in the 43rd Congressional District clearly prefer theirs nice. In an election year dominated by ruthless character assaults, the match between Mark Takano and Ken Calvert has been remarkably mud-free--a gentlemanly duel of good manners and cheerful disagreements over the issues.

Much is at stake for both major parties in California's congressional races--if for no other reason because of the sheer size of the state's delegation: 52 seats. Of those, 20 are wholly or in part within Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Only New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and California have House delegations of more than 20 seats.

Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren on Thursday called for the resignation of Rep. Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar), after his conviction on campaign finance violations, and endorsed one of Kim's opponents in the upcoming primary, Assemblyman Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar). "These offenses constituted a willful pattern of illegal conduct which go to the heart of campaign laws," Lungren, a former congressman, said in a strongly worded statement. Kim's actions brought "dishonor" on the House, the statement said.

After a five-year federal probe that led him to admit the acceptance of more than $250,000 in illegal campaign contributions, Rep. Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar) was sentenced Monday to two months' home detention--a ruling that allows the congressman to seek a fourth term in office. Without explaining how he arrived at the sentence, U.S.

Congressman Jay C. Kim and his wife pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court Monday to knowingly accepting more than $230,000 in illegal campaign contributions from corporate and foreign donors. Judge Richard A. Paez ordered the Diamond Bar Republican and his wife, June, to return to court Oct. 23 for sentencing. Under terms of an agreement negotiated with prosecutors, Kim was allowed to plead to three misdemeanor violations of federal election law.

A group of Democratic candidates for state and federal offices in Orange County said Friday they hope to break the GOP lock on local elections this year by riding the coattails of their party's surging presidential ticket. Democrats represent only one of the 17 seats in the delegations to Sacramento and Washington from California's strongest Republican territory. And they have been far behind the local GOP in raising money or getting votes when it comes to election campaigns.

Battling to increase support on his home turf, U.S. Sen. John Seymour (R-Calif.) courted women voters at a luncheon Wednesday and visited a defense plant where he promised recession-weary workers help in keeping their Patriot missile contract away from a British competitor. Referring to assumptions that women will vote for Democrat Dianne Feinstein because of her sex, Seymour told the "Women for Seymour" luncheon in Costa Mesa: "The women I talk to say their intelligence is being insulted."