Ex-Attorney General Honored by Immigration Reform Unit

Former Atty. Gen. William French Smith picked up an honor Monday as the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) held its first L.A. grass-roots gathering here. FAIR favors a toughening of immigration policy, and the luncheon crowd at the Sheraton Grande reflected that position. Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm was the speaker and INS Regional Commissioner Harold Ezell, self-described as a “contributing member” of FAIR, was busy at lunch circulating petitions calling for the revocation of the recently adopted position of Los Angeles as a sanctuary for illegal aliens. A letter from Smith’s old friend, President Ronald Reagan, was read, then Smith warned that roadblocks to passing immigration-reform legislation were a “classic example of long-term public interest, cut across by short-term interest.”

POLO PRINCE--Prince Charles will be in Palm Springs to play polo Feb. 22 at the El Dorado Polo Club, benefiting the Bob Hope Cultural Center. Other stars playing that day include Robert Logan, Alex Cord, Doug Sheehan, Tommy Lee Jones, Pamela Sue Martin and Barbara McQueen, widow of Steve McQueen. This weekend of polo is the Piaget Celebrity Uplifters Cup. . . . That night, a higher-stakes game will be played. It’s the $25,000-a-ticket dinner at the Rancho Mirage estate of former Ambassador Walter Annenberg, and his wife, former protocol chief Leonore Annenberg. That soiree will benefit one of His Royal Highness’s favorite charities, Operation Raleigh U.S.A., an ambitious multinational four-year Peace Corps-style expedition.

ON THE ROAD--Bob Hope has signed on to emcee the party at the auction of Arabian stallions set for Feb. 10 in Scottsdale. Elizabeth Taylor signed him up for the benefit for the Arizona AIDS Fund Trust and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Party and auction are set to net $3.5 million.

JOB NEWS--Roger Carrick, former state special assistant attorney general for policy--expected to go to the Bradley for Governor campaign about this time--instead has opted for a job in the high-tech field. Carrick, who remains a strong supporter of Tom Bradley, said the high-tech offer was one he couldn’t refuse.

TURNOUT--At the star-crushed event for South African Bishop Desmond Tutu last weekend, in Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden’s Santa Monica backyard, there was evidence of some star organizing that Fonda/Hayden started over a year ago. Network--the group set up to funnel celebrities into electoral campaigns--has old hands at politics, like Sally Fields, Mike Farrell and Bonnie Franklin, who were there. But a spokesman for Hayden pointed out that younger Hollywood community members, “Our Brat Packers,” had become involved, too--stars like Ally Sheedy, Kristy McNichol, Judd Nelson, Tom Cruise, Lori Singer and Rosanna Arquette. When they reached out to friends in the Hollywood community in ‘84, “Tom and Jane wanted to do something to win back the (U.S.) Senate, to make a difference in some of the crucial Senate races,” the spokesperson said. Now, with the congressional season upon them, “we’re already getting calls from different races asking for help.” Nothing like a star to bring out the crowds.

KUDOS--Up for honors at the annual CORO Foundation dinner April 3 (at the Centry Plaza) will be Walter Beran (vice chair of Ernst & Whinney), Dr. Sam Genesky (founder of the Center for the Partially Sighted), Lily Lee (president of Lily Enterprises) and everybody’s favorite philanthropist, Joan Palevsky. Honorary chair is James F. Montgomery, chairman and CEO of Great Western Financial. The dinner chairs are Dick Lippen, Steve Chaudet and Terri Childs. . . . Mayor Bradley and Gerald D. Foster, the regional vice president of Pacific Bell, host a reception honoring Carolyn Webb de Macias--the new Pacific Bell area vice president--today at City Hall tower.

CAN’T WAIT--Bantam Books this spring brings out three books by Suzi Kalter and Judith Thomas that have greedy hoards lining up: “Born to Shop--London,” “Born to Shop--Paris,” and “Born to Shop--Italy.”

CAN’T WIN--Seems like half the population of Pacific Palisades had the same idea Sunday afternoon: Go to the supermarket when everyone else was watching the Super Bowl. The crowded supermarkets proved that, either way, the Refrigerator won out.