GOP PUSHES FOR LATINO VOTERS PARTY APPEALS TO CONSERVATIVE ATTITUDES, BUSH APPROVAL.

Byline: Bill Hillburg Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Armed with favorable poll numbers for President George W. Bush, Southern California's House Republicans on Tuesday launched a renewed drive to attract Latinos to the GOP.

``We offer the best hope for Hispanics,'' said Rep. David Dreier, R-Covina, who led the daylong meeting. ``We are building on President George W. Bush's message of inclusion. Our message of liberty, freedom and economic opportunity is tailor-made for the Hispanic community.''

Dreier and other local GOP House members including Reps. Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs, Gary Miller, R-Diamond Bar, and Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, cited a recent nationwide poll conducted by Virginia-based Latino Opinions. It found that 82 percent of the 1,000 Latino adults surveyed had a favorable impression of Bush, compared to 47 percent in a 2001 poll.

The survey also found that 35 percent of Latino adults considered themselves to be conservatives, while 25 percent identified themselves as liberals and 29 percent saw themselves as moderate.

But the poll further showed that 53 percent of Latino voters were backing Democratic House candidates and only 23 percent supporting GOP hopefuls.

The latest GOP outreach plan includes support for Latino candidates carrying the party's banner. Dreier said the party's top prospects in the November election include Gary Mendoza of Sierra Madre, the former deputy to ex-Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who is running for state insurance commissioner.

Party leaders also said they would give limited additional support to candidates such as David R. Hernandez of North Hollywood, who is challenging incumbent Rep. Howard Berman, D-Mission Hills, in the heavily Democratic 28th District in the San Fernando Valley.

The GOP plans to assist Hernandez and other hopefuls with increased voter registration efforts targeted at new citizens and an ``underdog candidate's package'' filled with campaign advice.

Lewis said the GOP in California still faces a daunting task in overcoming the legacy of Gov. Pete Wilson and his support for the anti-illegal immigrant Proposition 187 in 1994. But he also accused Democrats of largely taking Latino voters for granted.

``A fundamental mistake was made when the Wilson people took on 187 as a major issue,'' said Lewis. ``But there is no reason why Latinos should remain in the hip pocket of a single party.''

Lewis, who spoke at a news conference in Spanish and English, and Miller also accused Democrats of gerrymandering predominantly Latino areas into their newly reapportioned districts.