Inside, it was about terrorism. Outside, it was all
politics.
Just before Rep. Jane Harman, D-Venice, was scheduled to speak
at the Faculty Center on Thursday as part of a symposium on
terrorism in the U.S. and Britain, her challenger for the
congressional seat in next week’s California primary
election, Marcy Winograd, staged a rally outside the building to
publicize her own campaign.
Flanked by about 25 sign-toting supporters, Winograd ““
also a Democrat ““ talked to passersby Thursday afternoon
after she said she asked the UCLA Department of Public Policy to
add her to the symposium bill and was turned down.
“We asked to be put on the agenda and they said no,”
Winograd said. “There is a campaign underway (and) it looks
very much like UCLA is promoting Jane Harman.”
When introducing the symposium’s two speakers ““
Harman and Paul Murphy, a member of English Parliament ““
Barbara Nelson, dean of the UCLA School of Public Affairs,
emphasized that the event was not meant to be partisan or
political.
“This is not a campaign event,” she said.
“It’s an academic conversation.”
Nelson did not address Winograd’s supporters, but instead
directed her comments at members of Britain’s Conservative
Party who might have wanted to use the question-and-answer session
to challenge Murphy, a member of the opposing Labour Party.
Several of Winograd’s supporters said even though the
symposium was not a campaign event, its proximity to
Tuesday’s election made it a campaign stop by default.
The race between Harman and Winograd has been run mostly on a
platform of national security.
Harman is the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Homeland Security
Committee, but Winograd has said Harman supports the war in Iraq
and has not done enough to oppose the National Security
Agency’s wiretapping program. Winograd also said Harman, as a
Democrat, is damaging the party by not strongly opposing the Bush
administration.
“Harman’s approval of the wiretapping gave Bush the
authority he would not have had,” Winograd said. “She
provided cover for the Bush administration.”
During the symposium, Harman addressed the wiretapping
program.
“We need increased capability to find out the plans and
intentions of people (that) is consistent with our laws and our
Constitution,” Harman said.
She said the Bush administration has an expansive view of
executive power and that Congress and the courts have to provide
“a vigorous set of checks and balances” to ensure
government programs do not get out of hand.
Harman tried to steer clear of partisan speech as she discussed
national security, but the protesters outside made no such
effort.
Winograd’s supporters tore into Bush and called out Harman
for not being liberal enough in her 11 years in the House of
Representatives.
Winograd said she is not concerned about running as a Democrat
against another Democrat because she believes her party needs to
differentiate itself more from Republicans on issues like the war
in Iraq in order to regain control of Congress.
“What good is it if the Democrats take back Congress and
plunge us further into the morass of Iraq?” Winograd said.
“The Democratic party will never be a majority party with any
endurance if it has no spine.”
Jerry Rubin, a 62-year-old peace activist and supporter of
Winograd, said a fight between Democrats could help the party.
“This could be a real wake-up call for the Democratic
Party,” Rubin said.