L.A. TO WOO DEMS; CITY VOLUNTEERS FOR 2000 CONVENTION.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Four years after rejecting calls to seek a national political convention, Los Angeles business and political leaders Friday announced a $27 million proposal to host the Democratic National Convention in 2000.

``This will let us showcase Los Angeles as the city of the new millennium,'' said businessman Eli Broad, who is heading the private-public partnership making the bid.

The city hasn't hosted a national political convention since 1960, when the Democrats nominated John F. Kennedy for president.

Now a committee calling itself LA Convention 2000 will raise the money needed to bring the event back to the city through private business. The city and county would be be asked to provide in-kind services.

``We will be doing the normal things we would, such as traffic control, security, things like that,'' said City Council President John Ferraro. ``What's important about this, is what we can do to show off the city.''

Democratic Party leaders earlier this year asked Los Angeles to bid for the 2000 convention against Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Detroit and Philadelphia.

Broad estimated a convention would bring in $137 million to the city and fill 17,000 hotel rooms over four days.

The key to the bid is the scheduled 1999 opening of the Staples Center sports arena where the main sessions could be held. The nearby Convention Center would be used for associated events.

``California provides 20 percent of the electoral vote,'' Ferraro said. ``If (Vice President) Al Gore wants to be president, he has to come through California.''

Bill Wardlaw, a businessman and Democratic activist, was more blunt. ``If the Democrats want to win the presidency, they have to win in California.''

Wardlaw and Broad are close to Mayor Richard Riordan, who is part of the LA Convention 2000 board along with David Geffen of DreamWorks and Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer.

Broad said the Republican National Committee did not ask Los Angeles to submit a bid, since it held its 1996 convention in San Diego and was looking to another state.

The new impetus behind the Los Angeles bid is in stark contrast to four years ago, when Riordan said the city could not afford to bid.

``We were in a funk then,'' Broad said. ``We were recovering from the (Northridge) Earthquake and couldn't afford it. Now, we think the time is right.''

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PHOTO Business and political leaders, from left, Bill Wardlaw, Ed Roski, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, John Ferraro and Eli Broad use a giant envelope to invite the Democratic Convention to L.A.

Bob Halvorsen/Daily News