THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410020061
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Candidate: Oliver North
Title: Compliment (30 sec.)
When: Starting today
Text: North speaks. ``Bill Clinton doesn't want me in the Senate.
Well, I'll take that as a compliment.
``As a senator, I'll put Virginia first, ahead of liberal plans
to socialize medicine, raise our taxes, and spend our kids into
debt.
``Chuck Robb votes with Bill Clinton 95 percent of the time.
Maybe that's why Virginians don't want him in the Senate.
``If you want a senator who stands up for your family, instead of
just voting the Washington line, I'm your candidate. And I'd
appreciate your vote.''
Video: Shots of the candidate taking part in a parade wearing a
plaid flannel shirt alternate with shots of North in the same garb
addressing the camera directly. At one point, text appears on the
screen: ``Chuck Robb votes with Bill Clinton 95 percent of the time.
(Congressional Record).''
What's the message: Once again, North draws a stark contrast
between Washington and Virginia, liberal politics and family values.
Washington is Bill Clinton is Chuck Robb. They are allegedly engaged
in a plan to socialize medicine, raise taxes and increase debt.
North promises to oppose all that and to defend Virginia and its
families against Washington and its schemes. A vote for him is a
finger in their eye.
Factual matters: Whether the president's plan to reform health
care was an attempt to socialize medicine is in the eye of the
beholder. But it now appears dead without Robb having had a chance
to vote one way or the other on it.
Politicians of both parties have voted to approve unbalanced
budgets, have increased taxes and have authorized more government
red ink. Robb's record of fiscal responsibility is better than that
of many senators. In fact, he previously has been criticized by
North for saying he'd support drastic measures to reduce the
deficit.
It is true that Robb has regularly voted with the present
Democratic administration, but he also supported President Bush more
than did almost all other Democrats. Whether Virginians want Robb in
the Senate, of course, remains to be seen. At present, polls suggest
that roughly a third of Virginians want Robb in the Senate, an equal
number want North, a lesser number are backing independent J.
Marshall Coleman and the rest are undecided.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE VIRGINIA CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN
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