Looking for an apology

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Looking for an apology

Rogan campaign organizes meeting outside Schiff office to protest claims congressman ignored Armenian community until start of election year.

 

 

By CLAUDIA PESCHIUTTA

 

GLENDALE -- An effort to gain favor among the area's growing number of Armenian voters may turn out to be a stumbling block for a local congressional candidate.

Many area residents recently received a campaign piece put out by state Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) attacking his opponent in the 27th Congressional District race, Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale), for his record on issues concerning Armenian voters.

The piece claims Rogan -- who has supported legislation calling for official U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide and sought to obtain federal aid for Armenia -- did not take an interest in matters important to Armenian constituents until this election year.

Rogan campaign officials organized a gathering of Armenian community members to be held today in front of the Schiff campaign office in Pasadena "to demand an apology."

"Adam Schiff thinks the Armenian community is naive and stupid, and he thinks that anything he says to the Armenian community they are going to buy," said Vartan Djihanian, a Rogan campaign spokesman.

The piece claims that, "until this election year [Rogan] took no interest or initiative on the issues important to his Armenian-American constituents."

It goes on to suggest the incumbent congressman has been influenced by contributions "from the same oil and gas interests that are working in Washington on behalf of Turkey and Azerbaijan, and against the interests of Armenia and Artsax."

Parke Skelton, a consultant for the Schiff campaign, said he stands by the mailer.

"Rogan hadn't been a leader on Armenian-American issues until he decided he was in a tough reelection site," he said.

Rogan has been endorsed by several Armenian political groups, including the Social Democratic Hunchakian and Armenian Democratic Liberal parties. Schiff has gotten the support of the Armenian National Committee, which endorsed Rogan's run for Congress in 1998.

Vicken Papazian, who recently stepped down as executive director of the ANC, said Rogan, in the past, "didn't take enough interest" in issues concerning the Armenian community.

"When he first entered Congress, there were times that he had to be prodded," he said.

Skelton said he doesn't think the campaign piece will hurt Schiff.