<i> A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life</i> : Speaker Allen Treats Pringle to Humble Pie--So He Throws a Party

The testy relationship between Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove) and Assembly Speaker Doris Allen (R-Cypress) hasn’t helped Pringle’s view of the world--literally.

After removing Pringle from the powerful Appropriations Committee chair last month, Allen administered the coup de grace last week: She moved him into one of the Capitol’s smaller offices. Pringle was bumped from a roomy suite with a view of Capitol Park to a two-room hovel across from the busy elevators.

In an attempt to celebrate his demotion, Pringle threw a party that was attended by Gov. Pete Wilson and more than 100 other lawmakers and staffers. Suffice to say, the crowd flowed out into the hall.

Pringle also distributed his own Top 10 reasons why his cramped new quarters represent a step up. Some excerpts:

- You don’t need to learn how to use that pesky phone paging system.

- You no longer need to explain why you have such a nice office.

- Every room has a view (when you open a door into the hallway).

- You can work until your bladder is full--the restroom is just across the hall.

- The staff keeps lobbyists guessing when they say, “We’ll try to squeeze you in.”

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Campaign cash: Political observers have predicted that the July 18 special election for the vacant Assembly seat in North County’s 72nd District would generate big bucks in campaign funds. But the campaign contributions for the three Republican candidates have been relatively modest.

According to statements filed Thursday, showing campaign contributions through July 1, Republican Richard Ackerman, a former Fullerton mayor, had raised the most money--$90,000. Fullerton Councilman Chris Norby was second with about $70,000, and Yorba Linda Councilwoman Barbara Kiley was a distant third with $27,000.

Democrat Shirley Hafner has raised only $7,500.

“I think the story here is, so far, the race has been ignored,” Norby said. “But sometimes in races like this the real action happens late in the campaign.”

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Committees cast: Last week’s happy gathering of the Committees of Correspondence, an ardently conservative grass-roots group of self-described “malcontents” who helped defeat Measure R, drew about 125 people--including several political figures--to Orange City Hall from all over the county.

Seen wandering among the upbeat crowd was former Rep. William Dannemeyer, a Republican from Fullerton; Gil Ferguson, a former Republican assemblyman from Newport Beach; and Garden Grove Councilman Mark Leyes, a longtime Democratic activist who has jumped to the Republican Party.

Considering the “dissing” Bill Clinton was getting during public comments, perhaps the only person in the room who voted for Clinton in 1992 was Anita Mangels of Laguna Beach, one of the founders of Republicans for Clinton. But Mangels, who is now working with a coalition fighting unfunded mandates, said “you’d be surprised” how many members of the Committees of Correspondence are actually Clinton supporters.

“You don’t have to be a Republican or a Democrat to believe that citizens need to be more involved in their government,” Mangels said. “That’s what [the Committees] is all about. If we got away from partisan politics, we’d get a lot more accomplished. I think what [the Committees members] are looking at is: ‘Hey, let’s not think about party labels, let’s do what’s right.’ ”

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Dornan third party: After being discourteously bumped from a congressional junket to Vietnam last week, GOP presidential hopeful and Garden Grove Rep. Robert K. Dornan rerouted to Dumbarton, N.H., where he joined other candidates at the third annual Conservative Political Victory Fund picnic. And then he threatened to break away from the Republican Party.

Dornan said that, if the GOP picks a “pro-abortion” vice presidential nominee, such as Gov. Pete Wilson, he will “walk” and there “will be a third party.”

Dornan makes the distinction between being “soft pro-choice” and “pro-abortion.” The former is someone who supports a woman’s right to have an abortion but does not favor federal funding of abortions. The latter, however, is more stridently in favor of legal abortions, supports federal funding for abortions, and is not likely to win Dornan’s backing, a Dornan spokesman said.

The congressman also told New Hampshire voters that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is a “Marxist creep.” Dornan blames Harkin for bumping him from the official delegation to Vietnam--where Dornan continues to press for full accounting on U.S. forces missing in action. Dornan was scheduled to talk about Vietnam on NBC’s “Meet the Press” today.

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To run or not to run: Dornan said after his flap with Harkin that he was inclined to drop his presidential bid and run again for Congress. A few days later in Iowa, he said he will make his decision in October or November.

Meanwhile, Democrat Jim Prince is moving ahead with plans to seek his party’s nomination for Dornan’s 46th Congressional District seat. Prince, a former Capitol Hill staffer now residing in Santa Ana, will be in Washington this week for a campaign event that is expected to draw presidential adviser George Stephanopoulos and Reps. Jane Harman (D-Rolling Hills) and Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park).

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Quote of the week: “I find it astonishing that many in Washington are very hard line on Orange County, but immediately rushed to the rescue of Mexico with $50 billion in American loan guarantees in tax dollars for a corrupt, deceitful foreign government . . . . “ GOP Presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan on ABC’s “This Week With David Brinkley,” saying that, while Orange County should pay its bankruptcy debts, Mexico got better treatment from federal officials.

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall with contributions from staff writers Gebe Martinez and Eric Bailey.

Politics ’95 appears every Sunday.