THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 18, 1996 TAG: 9610180557
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE AND DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: 47 lines
After withdrawing a campaign advertisement because of a fraudulent photograph, John Warner is running to the mommies.
The Republican's latest political advertisement features a split screen, each half filled with a mom, a minivan and a couple of happy youngsters.
``With Sen. Warner, it's not just what he's done, it's who he is. And that's really important to me and to my family,'' one mother says.
``He's a man that I would love to have my children meet and get to know,'' adds another.
The cozy tone of the ad campaign contrasts sharply with Warner's last effort, for which he issued a statewide apology because it included a fabricated photograph of his opponent and President Clinton. The new ad, produced by a new media firm because Warner fired his old one, never mentions Mark Warner, the Democratic challenger.
Mark Warner said he was not surprised by the change, considering the fallout from the senator's attempt at negative campaigning. If he were in the senator's shoes, ``I might try to change my tactics as well,'' Mark Warner said.
Dueling endorsements
The Warners held dueling press conferences this week to pin endorsement medals to their chests.
John Warner got pinned Thursday by two pro-business groups: the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
``John Warner has been and will be a true friend of small-business owners on Main Street,'' said Jack Faris, president of NFIB.
The business-group endorsements were something of a coup for John Warner, given that cellular telephone mogul Mark Warner casts himself as the nonpolitician businessman.
Mark Warner played down the endorsement, saying the NFIB neither sent his campaign a questionnaire nor invited him for an interview.
Wednesday, Mark Warner got the seal of approval from the National Abortion and Reproduction Rights Action League, known as NARAL.
``I support a woman's right to choose; John Warner does not,'' Mark Warner said at a news conference in Arlington.
NARAL released figures showing that John Warner cast 23 ``anti-choice'' votes in 23 opportunities in the past two years.
KEYWORDS: SENATE CAMPAIGN '96 U.S. SENATE RACE VIRGINIA
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