Pubdate: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA) Section: Inside Politics Copyright: 2000 Union-Tribune Publishing Co. Contact: PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA, 92112-0191 Fax: (619) 293-1440 Website: http://www.uniontrib.com/ Forum: http://www.uniontrib.com/cgi-bin/WebX Author: Bill Ainsworth HUFFINGTON TESTS LIFE AS BORN-AGAIN RADICAL ON STAGE Six years ago, she was at the center of one of the most expensive and issue-free campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat, the 1994 run of her then-husband, Michael Huffington, against Dianne Feinstein. Now, in her latest incarnation, Arianna Huffington, columnist, author and political theorist, is complaining that both parties are ignoring political issues and spending too much money on campaigns. Huffington is the mastermind of the Shadow Convention, a collection of activists, public policy experts and celebrities who are staging "alternative" political conventions. These mavericks are serious about reform -- and serious about making fun of establishment politicians. Huffington is credited with bringing together a diverse group, ranging from conservative Arizona Sen. John McCain to liberals like the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart and comedian Bill Maher, the host of "Politically Incorrect," will also address her group in Los Angeles. They met for five days in Philadelphia and have already started a second run in Los Angeles to talk about campaign finance reform, poverty and the failure of the war on drugs. But skeptics doubt whether Huffington, a Greek-born, Oxford-educated author, is sincere in her newfound beliefs. After all, they point out, before Huffington became a born-again radical, she was a staunch supporter of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his conservative "Contract with America." Before her conversion to conservatism, she dabbled in New Age religion. Her political odyssey has hardly been linear. Her critics also note that this new champion of campaign finance reform was one of the architects of a campaign that broke nearly all spending records at the time. Michael Huffington spent almost $30 million of his personal fortune and fell just short of unseating Feinstein in 1994. But he was one of the few conservatives to lose that year. When the Republicans took over Congress, Gingrich ushered in a conservative revolution that Arianna Huffington helped support with her syndicated columns. Since then, Huffington's views have evolved once again. "It hasn't been one epiphany, it's been a succession of epiphanies," she said about her changing political beliefs. Now, she describes herself as a "populist in the radical center" who supports reforming campaign finance laws, bridging the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and calling a truce in the war on drugs. Kam Kuwata, who ran Feinstein's 1994 campaign and is managing her current re-election effort, is skeptical. He agrees that she doesn't have a home in either the Democratic or Republican parties. "She belongs to the party of opportunism. She yearns to be relevant," he said. But her new allies in a broad range of reform movements are thrilled. In Philadelphia, as the mistress of ceremonies at the nightly political satire of the Shadow Convention, the elegant Huffington stood out among the activists clad in T-shirts, beards, shorts, bandannas and tie-dyed clothing. Yet they listened attentively when she firmly, but politely, cut off some interruptions to move along the program. They seemed impressed by her promises to investigate some of the issues raised by grass-roots activists. Ethan Nadelman, who serves as philanthropist George Soros' adviser on efforts to redirect the drug war and is promoting Proposition 36 on the November ballot to substitute treatment for punishment of drug users, said he is convinced that Huffington is sincere. "She's embraced this issue with such gusto that I'm sure it runs pretty deep," he said. "She's an amazing ally to have." Bill Ainsworth covers Sacramento for the Union-Tribune. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D