EDITORIAL : PORTABLE POLITICS CALIFORNIA CONSULTANTS CLAIM THAT THEY HELPED YELTSIN WIN ELECTION.

ONCE again, California is leading the country in exporting its excess overseas. Three former political consultants of Gov. Pete Wilson's traveled to Russia and wound up dictating the terms of success in Boris Yetlsin's presidential victory.

At least, that's their story. And it's a darn good one, if you believe them.

George Gorton, Dick Dresner and Joe Shumate went to work for the Yeltsin campaign on March 1, when it looked like democracy was down for the count.

According to a lengthy Time magazine cover story last week on the American advisers, they reportedly schooled Yeltsin's Russian staff in the art of the photo opportunity, the purpose of a focus group and the effects of negative ads.

They claimed credit for getting Yeltsin's campaign to focus on anti-communism and the message that Russian democracy's future was at stake.

Working so far out of the limelight that they experienced klieg light withdrawal, the three detailed how they had spent four months secretly holed up in a Moscow hotel room feverishly writing memos.

That's all very interesting. Just the same, what's behind the hype - Russian political operatives are denying or downplaying many of the Americans' claims - besides a good laugh?

Could it be that the boys of Moscow are hoping to drive up their consultation fees. If so, what better way than by representing themselves to ambitious candidates as miracle workers.

Ultimately, they may have traveled all the way to Russia to prove their worth to people back home, people like Bob Dole. The Cold Warrior needs a new weapon. The California Dreamers are looking for work. Maybe they should do lunch sometime. Or maybe they will run into each other between television interviews with Katie Couric.