VISITING DEMOCRATS PARTY AT $1.5 MILLION BASH.

Byline: Alexa Haussler Staff Write

In the biggest party kicking off Democratic National Convention week, about 15,000 journalists, delegates and VIPs thronged to the heart of downtown Saturday night to feast on California cuisine and political gossip.

The drinks and food flowed freely at the $1.5 million bash at the downtown Department of Water and Power plaza and the nearby Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as images of planets, stars, babies' faces and the seal of the city of Los Angeles bounced off the sides of building.

``Everyone is here to show everybody else that they were sent here, that they deserve to be here,'' said political satirist Mark Russell.

So why was he there?

``She dragged me,'' he said, pointing to his wife, Alison. ``I wanted to stay in the room and watch C-SPAN.''

Russell even had a backup plan in case the party was a bust.

``If this gets dull, I'll go down to Long Beach and cover that (Reform) convention.''

With the convention starting Monday, the festivities surrounding it were in high gear.

President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton were rounding up millions of dollars in contributions at private parties with L.A.'s elite, hotels all around town were jammed with newly arrived delegates and protests were in place around the downtown area.

The bash downtown was the launch pad to the festivities and as parties go, journalists called this one a success.

The menu included bowtie pasta salad with pesto, shrimp and foccia, as well as Southwestern favorites such as tamales, taquitos and salsa, and for those uncomfortable with Western fare, there was fried chicken and cole slaw.

The host of the event was LA Convention 2000, the local host committee for the convention.

The news media relished a night on the town before getting down to covering the convention.

``I'm amazed at the short line for drinks,'' marveled Aaron Harber, a Denver television host, as he munched on shrimp and took in the crowd.

``The reporters are not drinking as much as I expected, but the night is young.``

Harber wasn't the only one with commentary on the evening.

``It's nice when we have one night when we can act like the delegates,'' said Peter Aseltine, a reporter from the Times of Trenton, N.J.

But Aseltine is reserving final judgment until the end of the week.

``I'm told the Democrats party better than the Republicans, so I'm waiting to see,'' he said.

Mayor Richard Riordan, a Republican already feeling comfortable in the sea of Democrats converging on Los Angeles, addressed the crowd.

``I look forward to working with you. We are going to keep our heads high. We are going to have a great time, and we are going to make everybody leave loving Los Angeles.''

Also in attendance were delegates and politicians.

Revelers were treated to drummers playing African music, Chinese dragon dances and live performances by singer Patti LaBelle and the band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

The party's theme was ``A Kaleidoscope,'' with the variety of entertainment intended to suggest the diversity of Los Angeles.

Jim Goodman, of the Times of Trenton, N.J., ranked the party among the best he'd seen at political conventions he's covered as a veteran reporter.

``(But) New Orleans was the best party ever,'' he said, referring to the 1988 convention.

Rutger C. Mazel of Dutch national public radio and television, said he liked what he saw as he partied in the open air with thousands of colleagues.

``It really looks like L.A. to me,'' he said. ``Open air, nice weather, music and people.''

David Jackson, a political reporter for the Dallas Morning News who also appears on C-SPAN, called the party ``something to do.''

``It's always fun to relax because the week itself is so hectic,'' he said.

But lots of journalist also were working, with stories scrawled in their notebooks as they talked on cellular telephones, dictating their stories to their offices.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The $1.5 million bash at the downtown Department of Water and Power plaza and the nearby Dorothy Chandler Pavilion drew about 15,000 Saturday night.

(2) Food and drinks flowed freely downtown at the Department of Water and Power plant.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer