Back in the early 1980s when I was city editor at the Star-Free Press, the headline above, "political potpourri," was what we in the business call a "standing hed" that ran over collections of brief political stories about endorsements, rallies, campaign events and the like. I thought it was terribly old-fashioned and embarrassingly trite. Still, there I was, taking paper press releases (they actually arrived via the U.S. Mail), writing "political potpourri" on top, and dishing them out to reporters to write up.

Who knew that it was such a useful headline to pull together unrelated items that had only a connection to political campaigns in common? So, what follows is today's "Political potpourri":

FORUMS, WE'VE GOT FORUMS -- The Ventura County League of Women Voters has a full schedule of candidate forums coming up, all in districts with some pretty interesting races. To wit: Wednesday, May 9, First District supervisor candidates, Balboa Middle School, Ventura, 6:45-8:15 p.m.; Wednesday, May 16, 38th Assembly District candidates from 6:30-7:15 p.m. and 25th Congressional District candidates from 7:15-8 p,m,, both events at Simi Valley City Council Chambers; Friday, May 18, 26th Congressional District candidates, Thousand Oaks City Council Chambers, 5-7 p.m.

In addition, Cal Lutheran and Acorn newspapers are sponsoring a 26th Congressional District forum on Monday, May 7, at 7 p.m. at the Lundring Events Center in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center,which is north of Olsen Road near Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus.

A FORUM REVOLT? -- At least one candidate has apparently had enough of forums, at least those in Santa Clarita. The Santa Clarita Valley Signal reported this week that 38th Assembly District candidate Patricia McKeon will appear at no additional forums in that city, but still "may do" one in Simi Valley.

A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL -- Republican 25th Congressional District candidate Cathie Wright of Simi Valley, who says that if elected she will push for changes that would allow members of Congress to conduct some or all of their business from their districts through web-based events, is demonstrating the power of that idea by hosting what she calls "virtual town halls" every Tuesday evening from 7 to 9. To join, she says to go here and follow the directions.