CONVENTION TRIP TO MARK SEGUE INTO CITIZENRY.

Byline: Richard Katz

As I was getting ready over the past few days for the Democratic National Convention to begin Monday in Chicago, it struck me that this will be only the second national convention I will have ever attended.

This seemed odd to me, since I have served as an elected official representing the San Fernando Valley for the past 16 years and was an activist in the Democratic Party for many years prior to my election in 1980.

Until this year, my first and only national convention was in 1984 in San Francisco. I was relatively new to the Legislature then and was excited, although somewhat overwhelmed, by the swirl of media and national political celebrities.

These were the leaders of our party, the people who had been my role models - and here I was one of them, discussing issues of mutual concern as well as international importance, having my opinions solicited, sharing our ideas and visions for the future.

Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro were the Democratic ticket in 1984. For the first time ever, a woman was a nominee, and women candidates for all levels of political office were everywhere in the convention hall.

California's own Dianne Feinstein had been considered for the nomination right up until the time of the convention. We felt secure in our ideals as Democrats in the face of four years of a Ronald Reagan presidency and a woman vice presidential nominee symbolized all our hopes and ideals. How naive I was.

I missed the national convention in 1992 - the year Bill Clinton, a governor from Arkansas, was to beat incumbent George Bush. I had been the first elected Democrat in California to endorse Bill Clinton, but couldn't go to New York to join in the activities surrounding his nomination. Legislators were locked in budget negotiations in Sacramento.

This year is my last as an Assembly member, thanks to term limits. I have been personally torn between going to the convention - my last - or staying behind to wrap up my last week of the legislative session.

I resolved the tough decision the same way any good politician would: fly Saturday night on a red-eye to Chicago, spend today, Monday and Tuesday running between events at the United Convention Center and the Hilton Hotel, catch a red-eye back to Sacramento on Tuesday night in time for a late-night session at the Capital on Wednesday through Saturday. Restful, no.

But I will get to experience both my last national convention as an elected official and the last week of my last legislative session.

My trip to Chicago is not, as it is for others, a reliving of the 1968 convention. In 1968, I was just graduating from a Los Angeles high school, where I had been active in student government, the anti-war movement and, being an ardent Bobby Kennedy supporter. My friends and I watched the convention and, feeling the rush of adrenaline, wished we were there.

The journey to Chicago this year for me is all about Bill Clinton, Al Gore and crystallizing the stark contrast between the Democratic Party and the Republicans.

The GOP show in San Diego was a blatant repudiation of its platform. At their convention, the Republicans trotted out Colin Powell, who spoke eloquently and emotionally about opportunity, while the platform advocates abolition of affirmative action.

Susan Molinari talked of the many roles of women and the importance of choice, yet her party's platform would specifically invalidate her right to choose. The hypocrisy created visceral reactions among many of the GOP delegates at their own convention.

After watching the four-day GOP infomercial from San Diego every night, I know our gathering will be different.

Yes, I hope our convention will be well-staged and smoothly produced. The distinction lies, rather, with the substance behind the show. The Democratic Party is internally consistent - our platform will be represented by those who participate in the program and speak from the podium.

Over the course of the coming days, I am looking forward to speaking with delegates from all over California, visiting with old political friends from other states and listening to the aspirations and visions of the leaders of our party - past, present and future. I will talk to people about the future of the Democratic Party in California and, specifically, how to take back the majority of the state Assembly.

For me, this truly will be a week in transition - between Sacramento and Chicago, but also between the worlds of elected official and average citizen. As I make that trip, I'll attempt to share it with you.

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Photo: KATZ