RIORDAN'S GOP CLAIM UNDER FIRE.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan faced sharp criticism Saturday at the state Republican Party Convention for his past support of several Democratic Party politicians.

Riordan and rivals Secretary of State Bill Jones and millionaire businessman Bill Simon were trying to drum up support from Republican activists.

Jones approached Riordan at a midmorning reception and offered to introduce him to the more than 500 Republicans gathered at the Los Angeles Westin Hotel for the party's delayed state convention.

``He's never been to one of these before,'' said Jones, who has been hammering the former mayor over his contributions to Democrats - including Gov. Gray Davis.

Jones has also criticized Riordan for surrounding himself with Democratic advisers in his bid to win the GOP nomination next March.

``I just offered to show him around and meet Republicans.''

Unfazed, Riordan told reporters he was comfortable at the convention - even though it was the first he had attended - and noted he had once served on the Republican Party Central Committee.

``I'm here to meet with a lot of my close friends, and I've gotten a great reception,'' Riordan said. ``I think Jones is reaching a little bit to have guilt by association because I live with a Democrat, my wife.''

What is more important, Riordan said, is that he believes in Republican financial principles and can solve the state's problems.

He echoed the theme he used in his first mayoral contest in 1993 - that he was ``tough enough to turn Los Angeles around.''

``I'm a problem-solver for everybody,'' Riordan said. ``People know Dick Riordan is a Republican. They want a problem-solver, to make the streets safer, have a stronger economy and cut back on the bureaucracy and turn this state around.''

Jones and his campaign consultant, Ed Rollins, however, insisted that Riordan is not the Republican candidate who can beat Davis and cannot win the GOP primary next spring - even with independent polls showing the former mayor as the front-runner and ahead of Davis.

``This is a Republican primary,'' Jones said. `I am the first Republican in over 20 years to win statewide office twice. We are working throughout California to have voter outreach. I think voters will know who the Republican candidate is.''

Jones, the least well-funded of the three, will be competitive financially, Rollins said.

``We will be competitive to get our message out,'' Rollins said, adding he wants the campaign to rely more on direct mail than television commercials.

``We fully expect to be outspent in the primary and the general election, but we will have sufficient resources to get our message out,'' he said.

Riordan and Simon have indicated they are willing to use their sizable fortunes to finance their efforts, even though both are trying to raise as much money independently. So far, the two have raised some $3 million each.

``I want this to be a grass-roots campaign,'' Simon said. ``Without grass-roots support and financial support from individuals, this will not be a successful effort.''

Simon, a neighbor of Riordan in Brentwood, said he found himself in an uncomfortable position in that it was the former mayor who convinced him months ago to run for governor and recently asked him to drop out.

``He did urge me to consider running,'' Simon said. ``Then, I guess he got the bug himself.''

Recently, he said Riordan asked him to withdraw from the governor's race and look at another statewide office. Simon said he rejected the proposal and would not offer any additional specifics.

The contest between the three has split Republicans, with conservatives leaning toward Jones because of his years of involvement and in revolt to Riordan's positions favoring gay rights and abortion.

Celeste Grieg, a longtime activist, handed out buttons she had drawn up eight years ago criticizing Riordan as a ``RINO,'' Republican in name only.

However, former Rep. James Rogan of Glendale, who has been nominated by President Bush to be an undersecretary in the Department of Commerce, urged the party activists to put aside such considerations.

``We have not been beat by Democrats,'' Rogan said. ``We have been beaten by ourselves. When we see an R behind a candidates' name, we have to stop putting an asterisk next to it.