ARTICLES

The Company She Keeps

LOCAL PRO-ABORT HEAVIES LINE UP FOR ZETTEL

By Allyson Smith

Last month, News Notes reported Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham's October, 1998 visit to Escondido's Planned Parenthood clinic. Cunningham was persuaded to visit that clinic by pro-abortion Republicans "Jinx" Ecke and Darlee Crockett. At the time of Cunningham's visit, Ecke was a board member of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties, and Crockett was a member of Republicans for Choice.

Cunningham, Ecke and Crockett share another common bond: All endorsed or contributed to pro-abortion Republican (and Catholic) Charlene Zettel in her successful race for the 75th state assembly district last year against pro-life Catholics Joel Anderson and Mark Price.

While he gave no money to Zettel's campaign, her literature lists Cunningham as an endorsement. Crockett donated $100 in 1998 and $150 in 1999, and Ecke donated $250 in 1998 and $600 in 1999. In addition, Ecke hosted a May 1998 fundraiser for Zettel, incurring expenses of $177.97. Both Ecke and Crockett are listed as "homemakers" in Zettel's campaign contribution records.

Additional records of Zettel's 1998 and 1999 campaign contributions and payouts further reveal
the extent of her pro-abortion Republican and Democrat Party ties. They include:

--Contributions totaling $150 and $450, respectively, from abortionists George Y. Kung and Bruce Tarzy. Listed in Zettel's records as a "physician" with the North County Women's Clinic at 15644 Pomerado Road in Poway, Kung performs abortions at 209 Craven Road in San Marcos, near the campus of Cal State University. Tarzy aborts babies at 15725 Pomerado Road in Poway.

--Between 5/17/98 and 6/30/98, Zettel paid $553.49 to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Inc. of San Diego for a "data disk", as well as $577.66 to "Your Pro-Choice Voter Guide" for a slate mailer.

Zettel also got:

--$500 in 1998 and $150 in 1999 from Sara Moser of La Jolla, who signed a Republicans for Choice letter endorsing Democrat Susan Davis in 1994. Davis is the author of the recently defeated bill which sought to institute school-based clinics in California public schools.

--$250 in 1998 and $400 in 1999 from Julie Meier Wright, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. In June, 1999, Wright, now a registered Independent, wrote an editorial for the San Diego Union-Tribune titled "Leaving the party that left me.... I am personally pro-life, but I am ardently pro-choice and believe that this difficult issue (abortion) has no place in party platforms or partisan politics." Meier Wright then praised Charlene Zettel as "a freshman Assembly member from San Diego who could be a bright light of the Republican Party." In the next paragraph, Meier Wright cited other pro-abortion "worthy Republicans: Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, Gov. Christie Todd Whitman of New Jersey, Rep. Tom Campbell of San Jose, and former Assembly member Brooks Firestone."

--$1000 in 1998 from Tom Campbell for Congress.

--$65 in 1998 and $150 in 1999 from Democrat San Diego Unified School District board member Sue Braun.

--$300 in 1998 from Mrs. Chris Mangum, wife of Poway school board member Jeff Mangum. Mangum is running against conservative incumbent Jim Kelly for a seat on the county board of education. Zettel contributed $100 to the Committee to Re-Elect Jeff Mangum in October, 1998.

--Over $600 in 1998 from Robert L. Reeves, Poway school district superintendent. Prior to her assembly run, Zettel was a member of the Poway school board. According to Jim Kelly, the Poway school district was the second of the 43 school districts in San Diego County (following the San Diego school district) to include sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy.

--$21,000 in 1998 from the California Teachers Association/Association for Better Citizenship.

--$200 in 1998 from "retired" Republican activist Anne Patton. Patton, along with 77th state assembly district candidate Penny Halgren, is the current target of a San Diego grand jury investigation request for "conflict of interest, dishonesty, willful violations of the Public Records Act, and use of county staff, funds and equipment for political purposes" brought by David Sossaman, former chairman of the San Diego County Whistle Blowers Committee. In a November 4 article in The La Mesa Forum, Sossaman scored Halgren for her use of the county e-mail system, citing a message she received from Anne Patton which reads, "Penny, try these for help. Sara Moser (NWPC [National Women's Political Caucus] endorsement chairman). Ask her for a personal donation. Use my name freely."

In another e-mail message from dated 6/30/99, Patton reveals her pro-abortion leanings. Under the subject header "Move to ban teaching abortion procedures in Med School," she writes, "Now I've heard everything. Abortion politics never stop."

-- $500 in 1998 from Dayton Hudson Corporation, pro-abortion parent corporation of Target and Mervyn's stores.

-- $1000 from Darrell Issa, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Barbara Boxer last year as a pro-life conservative. Issa currently serves as chairman of the Lincoln Club of San Diego County, a Republican club which, according to a source who requested anonymity, "hates pro-life Reppies and those whom they consider to be the 'religious Republicans.'"

-- $3000 in 1998 from Anesthesia Service Medical Group Good Government Fund, a political action committee. The treasurer of the PAC is Dr. Robert E. Hertzka, also a member of the Lincoln Club. From 1994 through 1998, Hertzka contributed over $9000 to local elected Democrats Dede Alpert, Steve Peace, Denise Ducheny, and Susan Davis.