The Democrats' Meal Ticket
Dianne Feinstein, fresh in from the California gubernatorial race for last night's big summer Democratic fund-raising dinner, was chatting with reporters about how the budget deficit has caused Americans "to start to realize that the Republicans aren't the panacea," when up rushed Rep. Beryl Anthony Jr. (Ark.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.</br></br>He was delighted that Feinstein was there in the great hall of the National Building Museum downtown-a bright spot in an otherwise somewhat low-key, business-suited crowd of roughly 700 overheated politicians, lobbyists and party loyalists-and immediately took her in tow to introduce her around. "She'll be the next governor of California," said House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (Wash.), after the two had talked animatedly at a reception before the dinner.</br></br>In his dinner speech, former Democratic National Committee chairman Charles T. Manatt noted that the former San Francisco mayor likes it pronounced Fein-STINE, not STEEN, and had once, when visiting New York Mayor Ed Koch persisted in mispronouncing it, warned him in public that she might begin mispronouncing his name in a way that would raise high the roof beams.</br></br>That was the evening's only joke, unless you counted Foley's observation concerning the menu (herb-roasted flank steak, cold lobster and "medley of blanched and chilled vegetables") that "I'm not the veggie type."</br></br>What is it with the Democrats? At last year's summer party-the first ever-they had the hull of a sinking ship in the middle of the room, for reasons that never were completely made clear.