HERTZBERG CONFRONTS HAHN AT CANTER'S.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

After days of direct clashes over ethics and leadership in their fight for a runoff spot in Tuesday's election, Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and Mayor James Hahn met face-to-face briefly Sunday at a popular Jewish delicatessen in the Fairfax District.

Hertzberg tried to present Hahn with a stainless silver kitchen sink when they crossed paths campaigning at Canter's deli, saying, ``You've thrown everything but this at me.''

Hahn's breezed past him, but Hertzberg followed him into the restaurant.

``Let's sit down, and I'll buy you a corned beef sandwich,'' Hertzberg said as the two shook hands.

Hahn then shook his head and walked away, muttering, ``Yeah, yeah, yeah.''

The brief encounter came as the long campaign entered its final day today with the two locked in a virtual dead heat with Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa for the two spots in the May 17 runoff election.

Hahn, the best financed of the candidates and backed by independent expenditures from several unions and others, has barraged the airwaves with attack ads aimed largely at Hertzberg - an indication that the Hahn campaign has chosen to cut away at Hertzberg's strength rather than attack Villaraigosa, who is better known and has a solid base of support.

The Hahn campaign continued to press Hertzberg to disclose his client list from his work at the firm of Mayer Brown Rowe and Maw, which he joined after leaving the legislature.

``He is running a campaign based on transparency, and there is a question of who his clients are,'' campaign consultant Kam Kuwata said. ``He says he will disclose who they are if he is elected. It seems to us the voters should know who they are now.''

The Hertzberg campaign shot back that the mayor, as a lawyer, knows full well he can't disclose his clients without their permission and pointed out that the mayor does not make such a demand on lawyers he appoints to city commissions who only have to state when they have conflicts of interest in their official duties.

Hertzberg said he tried to get his clients to allow him to identify them. Only a handful agreed, including the city Community Redevelopment Agency and the Department of Water and Power, work for which Hahn had agreed to hire him.

``Mr. Hahn, as an attorney, knows full well the Canon of Ethics prevents me from identifying a client unless they agree,'' Hertzberg said. ``And, if he doesn't know it now, he'll have to learn it after he loses this election if he wants to practice law.

``I would love nothing better than to identify my clients, but I live by my word and my oath. I wish this mayor, who seems to have no problems when it comes to ethics, to be as honest.''

Hertzberg campaign aides also raise the issue about what Hahn requires of his appointees to city offices if they are lawyers.

``The Mayor's Office does due diligence,'' Kuwata said. ``Anyone who is appointed is talked to by the mayor or his staff and they also have to answer to the Ethics Commission to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.''

Hahn's ads also attack Hertzberg and Villaraigosa for taking contributions from Enron Corp. officials when they were in the Legislature and suggest they have some responsibility for the state energy crisis which did not directly affect Los Angeles. That charge has been challenged.

The event at the restaurant brought out competing chants from sign- waving supporters.

Hahn campaigners shouted ``Four More Years'' when he emerged from a white Winnebago that carried his sister, Councilwoman Janice Hahn, and several black supporters, including Sweet Alice Harris of Mothers of Watts, who had been with Hahn during earlier campaign stops at African-American churches.

The councilwoman also proved to be a valuable blocker. As Hertzberg tried to follow her brother, she opened her arms for a hug and wouldn't let Hertzberg go. She said she whispered in his ear, ``I'm going to hold you until he gets out of here.'' < Hertzberg supporters, including one on Rollerblades skating along Fairfax Avenue, countered with a cheer of ``Three More Days.''

In other campaign developments, state Sen. Richard Alarcon met at several San Fernando Valley locations with supporters, walking precincts and making calls to supporters.

Villaraigosa was scheduled to visit eight churches.

And Councilman Bernard Parks appeared at several black churches and urged his supporters to not surrender despite polls showing him to be a long shot.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) At left, Mayor James Hahn, running for re-election, greets supporters as he approaches Canter's deli in the Fairfax District. Mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg, right, joins diner Adam Wasserman at the deli. Hahn and Hertzberg met briefly at the restaurant when Hertzberg accused Hahn of throwing everything at him but the kitchen sink.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

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ELECTION DAY