CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE STIRS UP SENIORS' PASSIONS; SHERMAN, HOFFMAN DRAW BOOS, CHEERS.

Byline: Deborah Sullivan Daily News Staff Writer

Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman and his Republican challenger, Randy Hoffman, squared off before a rowdy audience of senior citizens Saturday in a debate sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons.

Sherman, a freshman incumbent who represents a swath of the Valley and surrounding area from Sherman Oaks to Thousand Oaks, faces a challenge from Hoffman, a businessman who founded a company specializing in global positioning systems.

Sherman and Hoffman are among five contenders for the 24th Congressional District seat. Libertarian candidate Erich Miller and Peace and Freedom candidate Ralph Shroyer passed out literature in the hallway and said they were not permitted to join the debate.

As Hoffman and Sherman weighed in on issues ranging from Social Security reform to abortion rights to national security, about 200 audience members registered approval or disagreement with boos, cheers, claps, hisses and occasional shouted retorts.

Asked about plans for Social Security reform, Sherman said he opposed a proposal to lower costs of living adjustments to Social Security, and said he does not believe it's necessary to raise the minimum age for receiving benefits. He also pledged to fight privatization of the system.

While some Republican lawmakers have argued for using a portion of the budget surplus for tax cuts, Hoffman said the entire surplus should be used to shore up Social Security. He said he supported ``personalizing'' Social Security but argued that such a change would not actually represent privatization.

``If each of you had a savings account, the government couldn't come in and take that money from you,'' he said, to a chorus of boos.

But audience members roundly cheered his argument against taxing Social Security benefits.

Regarding military spending, Hoffman advocated development of a missile defense system and training in chemical and biological weapons response for local law enforcement.

``We thought that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, that the world would become a safe place,'' he said. ``But it actually has become more unpredictable.''

Sherman said a missile defense system would be inadequate without deployment of military personnel at the U.S. borders.

``A nuclear bomb is smaller than a child,'' he said. ``How many children have been smuggled across the border?''

Both candidates proclaimed themselves pro-choice. But Hoffman said he believes abortion should not be publicly funded, while Sherman said women in the armed forces should have access to abortions at military hospitals, and abortion should be included with other medical services to poor women.

As debate swirls about President Clinton's sexual scandal and the future of his presidency, observers at Saturday's debate at the Valley Radisson Center Hotel in Sherman Oaks made it clear they had heard enough of that.

When moderator Edmonde Haddad asked the candidates their views on the crisis, audience members hissed and catcalled, and a woman yelled, ``Talk about the issues!''

``I thought the crowd was very rude,'' said Don Orr, 78, of Woodland Hills after the debate. ``I can only assume that because of the situation in Washington, eveyone's emotionally upset, and it's starting to show.''

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2 photos

Photo: (1) Sherman

(2) Hoffman