Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 26, 1993 TAG: 9302260181
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
RADIO HOST TAKES GOODLATTE TO TASK
SO BOB GOODLATTE, the 6th District's new reform-minded congressman, is spending the weekend in New Jersey being wined and dined by lobbyists who have paid $6,000 for the privilege? That's the image a national talk-show host painted Thursday. But it's not true.\ Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, discovered the power of talk radio Thursday.
And maybe 6th District voters learned a little bit about their new congressman.
This is the weekend that congressional Republicans head off to Princeton, N.J., aboard a chartered passenger train for their annual issues retreat. This year, to raise money for future campaigns, the Republicans are charging lobbyists $6,000 for the right to show up and put their own spin on the issues.
To Republican leaders, that's a fund-raiser and educational seminar. To nationally syndicated talk show host Gene Burns - a poor man's Rush Limbaugh - that's "bribery."
And at 3 p.m. Thursday, Burns went on the air coast-to-coast to excoriate the Republican representatives, painting a picture of politicians frolicking and feasting at the expense of special interests.
"It's nothing more than legalized bribery," Burns told his listeners. "It's the absolute essence of what's wrong with the American political system." Burns then proceeded to read off a list of the 120-plus Republican legislators supposedly in attendance.
Among those he named was Goodlatte.
Burns, whose show is carried by Roanoke's WFIR-AM, apparently has an activist audience.
Within minutes, the phones in Goodlatte's office started jangling, with angry constituents demanding an explanation. Soon, Goodlatte's office was so swamped that even the congressman's top aide, Tim Phillips, was answering the phones.
"I took one call and it's a doctor in Botetourt County," Phillips said, "and he's saying, `I want you to tell me why my congressman who's supposed to be for reform is on a train to Princeton to eat filet mignon!'"
In all, about 25 phone calls poured in during a 45-minute span, one of the biggest spasms of voter reaction Goodlatte has seen during his short time in office. "These people were fired up and angry, I tell you," Phillips said.
Fortunately for Goodlatte, his staff had a ready response: He decided last week not to go to the conference, although apparently Republican leaders never took his name off the official guest list that Burns read over the air.
Instead, Goodlatte will be back home in Roanoke meeting constituents this weekend, one of about 50 GOP legislators who decided to skip the high-priced gathering. "I felt it was inappropriate to involve lobbyists and charge a fee," Goodlatte said.
Burns, contacted Thursday night at his New York studio, was delighted to hear that Goodlatte wasn't going. "I couldn't agree with him more," Burns said. He promised to take note of Goodlatte's absence during today's show - and said he might even call Goodlatte's office and try to get the congressman to go on the air with him.