
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 7, 1990                   TAG: 9005070125
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: ATLANTA                                LENGTH: Short

TWO LEADERS COME TOGETHER/ WILDER, JACKSON DENY PARTY SPLIT

For months, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia have been portrayed as combatants. But this weekend, the two got together not only to dispel such notions but to stress the similarities in their goals.

Wilder was the keynote speaker at a dinner on Saturday night wrapping up a three-day conference of Jackson's National Rainbow Coalition.

"I don't know which one is the mountain or which one is Mohammed, but they are both here and that's important," said Michael Lomax, chairman of the Fulton County Commission.

Explaining one of his reasons for accepting Jackson's invitation, Wilder said: "I wanted an excellent opportunity to show that there isn't an opportunity to split us up or have us go one on one on each other.

Also, I have every intention of finishing my term as governor, which ends in the 1993. That would preclude a lot of things in 1992."

Jackson praised Wilder's emphasis on issues like fiscal responsibility in government, fighting crime, creating jobs and promoting family values.

He invoked the term "new mainstream," which Wilder and others have used to describe the coalition of voters who have fueled some important Democratic Party gains in the last year.

He also said there was no difference between this group and his own well-used description of the nation as a "quilt of many colors."

by CNB