Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 1, 1993 TAG: 9308010159
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEVIN KITTREDGE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Speaking at the annual Elephant Roast dinner and rally at Nellie's Cave Park, Farris also called opponent Don Beyer "a liberal, Bill Clinton Democrat . . . What you see in Bill Clinton is what you get with Don Beyer. He is no friend to traditional Virginia values."
Farris added "we haven't seen hide nor hair of the Democrats" during his campaign.
"I think they're on political welfare," he said of the Democrats. "They're waiting for the votes to come to them."
Farris was the main attraction at an event that also included two candidates for the House of Delegates, Nick Rush and Morgan Griffith.
Rush is battling Democrat Jim Shuler for the 12th District seat. Griffith is in a race with Howard Packett for the seat being vacated by Republican Steve Agee.
Rush, a member of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, assured the 120 Republicans who attended the Elephant Roast that "the American dream is still attainable. You can still attain it through family, hard work and excellence."
Griffith, a Salem lawyer, said "we're going to provide some leadership in the General Assembly to help Western Virginia. Western Virginia isn't getting its fair share."
But it was Farris, a Loudoun County resident and political novice, who commanded the spotlight, with an energetic and well-received speech that hammered Democrats for "tax and spend" policies, and argued for less government regulation and for greater personal control in areas that affect Virginians' lives. Especially schools.
"First it was new math," Farris said. "Then we got rid of history and brought in social studies. Then we brought in family life education . . . Educational ideas have consequences."
Farris called for elected school boards everywhere in Virginia, saying control of the schools should be given back to localities, where "the federal and state government have nothing to say whatsoever about the content of what's taught in the classroom."
After his talk, Farris defended his controversial comments about a connection between abortion and breast cancer, saying 21 studies have pointed to such a link.
"If there was one study that showed saccharine caused breast cancer, it would be front-page news," he told a reporter. "I think that women want to know what's there - and I think they have a right to know."
Farris' campaign has released a number of studies showing a 50 percent or higher increase in the rate of breast cancer among women who have had abortions. Some doctors have said studies to date have yielded inconsistent and inconclusive results.
Farris has denied his motivation in talking about the alleged link is simply to stop abortions.
Farris is scheduled to speak again at 8 a.m. Wednesday at BT's Restaurant in Radford.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB