RIORDAN CAMP BLASTS HAYDEN'S RECORD.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

After being barraged with almost daily hits from challenger Tom Hayden, Mayor Richard Riordan's campaign attempted to fight back Friday by criticizing the state senator on his attendance record in Sacramento.

As Hayden, D-Los Angeles, was holding a news conference on Mulholland Drive to criticize Riordan's record on environmental issues, Riordan's campaign charged Hayden missed a critical vote Friday on an environmental issue.

``While Tom Hayden is busy today with political stunts designed to garner headlines for his floundering campaign, he is missing an important environmental vote in the state Senate,'' said Julio Ramirez, Riordan campaign manager in a statement headlined ``Truant Tom MIA.''

Hayden countered that he was not missing a major vote and had left word with Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer, D-Hayward, that he was available to return to Sacramento if needed.

He charged that the mayor's attack was designed to prevent discussion of the Riordan environmental record.

``Mayor Riordan has no understanding that we are at an environmental crossroad,'' Hayden said, as he received the endorsement of the Sierra Club and actor Ed Begley Jr., who is a Riordan appointee to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy board.

``Because of his narrow Republican emphasis on growth, growth and more growth, the mayor has tried to weaken such popular environmental programs as those aimed at cleaning up air pollution.''

Hayden missed a vote on a measure by Sen. Quentin Kopp, I-South San Francisco, that was approved routinely 29-0. It was related to the requirement of an environmental impact report for a potential new baseball stadium in the San Francisco area.

``He is paid by the people of the state to do his job and he should have been in Sacramento,'' said Todd Harris, a Riordan campaign spokesman.

``No one should be surprised that Hayden missed an important vote, however,'' Harris said, charging that Hayden has missed 21 percent of the votes during his time in the Senate and has the third-worst attendance record in the upper house.

Rocky Rushing, a Hayden spokesman, said Riordan's campaign did not understand Sacramento and the legislative process.

``This underscores Dick Riordan's lack of knowledge,'' Rushing said. ``If he was up there lobbying a little bit more for L.A., he might know the nature of how it works.''

Hayden said he was concerned by Riordan's call to reduce federal pollution standards for the South Coast air basin. However, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has signed off on changes proposed.