Bobbi Fiedler
Encyclopedia
Bobbi Fiedler is a former U.S. Representative from California
who made a name for herself as a strong opponent of forced busing.
on April 22, 1937, Fiedler attended area public schools. Studies continued at Santa Monica Technical School (1955–1957) and Santa Monica City College
(1955–1959).
Fiedler formed her political identity at Encino's Lanai Road Elementary School, where she mobilized other mothers to protest court-ordered busing. http://www.kevinroderick.com/valleyofpols.html Fiedler formed an organization called Bustop in 1976, and the organization grew to 30,000 members in weeks.Valley activists rise up Fiedler's role in the grass-roots group helped propel her to public office, as she won a surprising upset in 1977 against Los Angeles school board president Robert Docter, who favored busing. While serving on the Los Angeles (City) Board of Education, Fiedler and fellow board member Roberta Weintraub were fierce opponents of forced busing.
In 1980, Fiedler ran as a Republican
(GOP) for Congress against Democrat James C. Corman
, who had served 20 years in Congress. Fiedler was an underdog, running against Corman in a district that was 62% Democratic, and with the incumbent next in line to be chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. But in a year in which Reagan's coattails
drew large numbers of Democratic voters to the GOP, the National Republican Congressional Committee targeted Corman, hoping not to defeat him, but to embarrass him. Busing was the central issue in the election between Fiedler and Corman. Time
magazine reported on the campaign as follows: "Again the issue is local: busing that was ordered by the California Supreme Court in 1977 to desegregate public schools in Los Angeles County.
The Congressman's opponent in the election, Republican Bobbi Fiedler, 43, mother of two children, has made a political career out of the issue. She used it to win a seat on the city's school board in 1977. She decided to run against Corman last year, when he refused to push for an antibusing amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He also declined to back California's Proposition 1, which limits the power of state courts to order busing and was approved by 81% of the voters in his district. Insists Fiedler: 'Corman is completely out of touch with the people in the district. He has voted for 31 pro-busing measures in Congress.' Replies the softspoken, white-haired Corman: 'I've never had anything to do with ordering school busing. That's done by the courts. But I believe that we have to comply with the law.' In addition to busing, Fiedler flays Corman as a big-spending supporter of wasteful social-welfare programs." Time magazine, Sept. 22, 1980, The House: Two Veterans Find Trouble Back Home.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,952734-2,00.html
Corman's campaign manager, Clint Reilly, later recalled that his candidate's position on racial integration drew heavy fire from Fiedler, whom he described as "the leader of LA's anti-busing movement." Reilly noted that the Republican Party raised more than a million dollars for Fiedler, and "the campaign was waged in the racially charged atmosphere of the San Fernando Valley." After a fierce campaign in which Corman was often picketed by anti-integration activists, the candidates entered election day in a dead heat in the polls, and Corman lost to Fiedler by 750 votes out of 200,000 cast.http://www.clintreilly.com/?p=22
It was thought by many experts that President Jimmy Carter
's concession to Ronald Reagan
while to the polls were still open on the west coast discouraged enough Democrats from voting so that Fiedler was able to narrowly defeat Corman.
Fiedler was one of several Jewish woman who has been elected to Congress from California; she was followed in 1982 by Barbara Boxer
and in 1992 by Jane Harman
. (The first woman elected from California was Florence Prag Kahn
of San Francisco in 1924.)Fiedler considered herself an independent Republican, breaking with her party over her support for abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment
. http://books.google.com/books?id=7g1jaWlsY24C&pg=PA242&lpg=PA242&dq=bobbi+fiedler+busing&source=web&ots=Er6X8AlOsl&sig=V4l0vIAkiNYuzZDHBRAFnk32HjY&hl=en
After her narrow victory in 1980, Fiedler was re-elected in 1982, defeating Democrat George Henry Margolis 71.8% to 24.1%. She won in another landslide in 1984, defeating Charlie Davis 72.3% to 25.9%.
In 1986, Fiedler did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives, opting instead to make what proved to be an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination to challenge Alan Cranston
for his United States Senate seat. She was charged with political corruption in January 1986 after an undercover investigation allegedly showed that Fiedler offered $100,000 a rival, State Senator Ed Davis, if he would withdraw from the Republican senatorial primary. The charges were dismissed by Judge Robert Altman before the matter went to trial. Despite the dismissal of the charges in February 1986, Fiedler garnered only 7.2% of the vote in the Republican primary.
Fiedler is currently a resident of Northridge, California.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who made a name for herself as a strong opponent of forced busing.
Biography
Born Roberta Frances Horowitz in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
on April 22, 1937, Fiedler attended area public schools. Studies continued at Santa Monica Technical School (1955–1957) and Santa Monica City College
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
(1955–1959).
Fiedler formed her political identity at Encino's Lanai Road Elementary School, where she mobilized other mothers to protest court-ordered busing. http://www.kevinroderick.com/valleyofpols.html Fiedler formed an organization called Bustop in 1976, and the organization grew to 30,000 members in weeks.Valley activists rise up Fiedler's role in the grass-roots group helped propel her to public office, as she won a surprising upset in 1977 against Los Angeles school board president Robert Docter, who favored busing. While serving on the Los Angeles (City) Board of Education, Fiedler and fellow board member Roberta Weintraub were fierce opponents of forced busing.
In 1980, Fiedler ran as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP) for Congress against Democrat James C. Corman
James C. Corman
James Charles Corman was a Los Angeles City Council member from 1957 to 1961 and a Democratic Congressman from California between 1961 and 1981.-General:...
, who had served 20 years in Congress. Fiedler was an underdog, running against Corman in a district that was 62% Democratic, and with the incumbent next in line to be chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. But in a year in which Reagan's coattails
Reagan's coattails
Reagan’s coattails refers to the influence of Ronald Reagan’s popularity in elections other than his own, after the American political expression to “ride in on another’s coattails.” Chiefly, it refers to the “Reagan Revolution” accompanying his 1980 election to the U.S. Presidency. This victory...
drew large numbers of Democratic voters to the GOP, the National Republican Congressional Committee targeted Corman, hoping not to defeat him, but to embarrass him. Busing was the central issue in the election between Fiedler and Corman. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine reported on the campaign as follows: "Again the issue is local: busing that was ordered by the California Supreme Court in 1977 to desegregate public schools in Los Angeles County.
The Congressman's opponent in the election, Republican Bobbi Fiedler, 43, mother of two children, has made a political career out of the issue. She used it to win a seat on the city's school board in 1977. She decided to run against Corman last year, when he refused to push for an antibusing amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He also declined to back California's Proposition 1, which limits the power of state courts to order busing and was approved by 81% of the voters in his district. Insists Fiedler: 'Corman is completely out of touch with the people in the district. He has voted for 31 pro-busing measures in Congress.' Replies the softspoken, white-haired Corman: 'I've never had anything to do with ordering school busing. That's done by the courts. But I believe that we have to comply with the law.' In addition to busing, Fiedler flays Corman as a big-spending supporter of wasteful social-welfare programs." Time magazine, Sept. 22, 1980, The House: Two Veterans Find Trouble Back Home.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,952734-2,00.html
Corman's campaign manager, Clint Reilly, later recalled that his candidate's position on racial integration drew heavy fire from Fiedler, whom he described as "the leader of LA's anti-busing movement." Reilly noted that the Republican Party raised more than a million dollars for Fiedler, and "the campaign was waged in the racially charged atmosphere of the San Fernando Valley." After a fierce campaign in which Corman was often picketed by anti-integration activists, the candidates entered election day in a dead heat in the polls, and Corman lost to Fiedler by 750 votes out of 200,000 cast.http://www.clintreilly.com/?p=22
It was thought by many experts that President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's concession to Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
while to the polls were still open on the west coast discouraged enough Democrats from voting so that Fiedler was able to narrowly defeat Corman.
Fiedler was one of several Jewish woman who has been elected to Congress from California; she was followed in 1982 by Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
and in 1992 by Jane Harman
Jane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
. (The first woman elected from California was Florence Prag Kahn
Florence Prag Kahn
Florence Prag Kahn was an American teacher and politician who in 1925 became the first Jewish woman to serve in the United States Congress. She was only the fifth woman to serve in Congress, and the second from California, after fellow San Franciscoan Mae Nolan...
of San Francisco in 1924.)Fiedler considered herself an independent Republican, breaking with her party over her support for abortion rights and the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
. http://books.google.com/books?id=7g1jaWlsY24C&pg=PA242&lpg=PA242&dq=bobbi+fiedler+busing&source=web&ots=Er6X8AlOsl&sig=V4l0vIAkiNYuzZDHBRAFnk32HjY&hl=en
After her narrow victory in 1980, Fiedler was re-elected in 1982, defeating Democrat George Henry Margolis 71.8% to 24.1%. She won in another landslide in 1984, defeating Charlie Davis 72.3% to 25.9%.
In 1986, Fiedler did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives, opting instead to make what proved to be an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination to challenge Alan Cranston
Alan Cranston
Alan MacGregor Cranston was an American journalist and Democratic Senator from California.-Education:Cranston earned his high school diploma from the old Mountain View High School, where among other things, he was a track star...
for his United States Senate seat. She was charged with political corruption in January 1986 after an undercover investigation allegedly showed that Fiedler offered $100,000 a rival, State Senator Ed Davis, if he would withdraw from the Republican senatorial primary. The charges were dismissed by Judge Robert Altman before the matter went to trial. Despite the dismissal of the charges in February 1986, Fiedler garnered only 7.2% of the vote in the Republican primary.
Fiedler is currently a resident of Northridge, California.
See also
- List of California public officials charged with crimes