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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 29, 1992                   TAG: 9203270206
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GOP MASS MEETING WAS CONDUCTED FAIRLY

My curiosity was sprung when I read "Congressional Hopeful Says Mass Meeting Rigged" in your March 11 newspaper. As the newly elected chairman of the College Republicans of Virginia Tech, I simply couldn't understand the allegations that George Bell was trying to rig anything.

George Bell was a hard-working, capable and tenacious chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Unit Committee. As many dedicated unit committee members did, I, too, went through the prefiling process, paid my $10 and filled out the forms with no problems.

At the county's mass meeting March 21, the rules were voted on and delegates were elected to the state convention, again with no problem.

The press made a great deal of the fact that George Bell was "snubbed" at the meeting. Let's get a few things straight. There is a political contest going on. George Bell was, and is, the front-runner.

I don't think the Montgomery County Republicans "snubbed" its chairman because most of the Bell delegates there were members of the unit committee. They were the same people who manned the phones, stuffed envelopes and dropped literature for Al Leighton, Ken Phipps and Allan Burke last fall. Simply put, there weren't any of these hard-working unit committee members flocking to Gary Weddle or Lew Sheckler.

I want to thank George Bell for always being there for the College Republicans and every other hard-working Republican in Montgomery County. Bell took over the party at a time when no one else was willing. He went above and beyond during his tenure to provide great leadership in an election cycle that resulted in gains for the party overall. If the Republican Party had more men like George Bell, we would all be better off.\ Anne Rathbone, Chairman College Republicans of Virginia Tech Blacksburg

by CNB