Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 28, 1993 TAG: 9310280228
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The ad, which attacks Republican Rush for a 1992 Montgomery County Board of Supervisors vote involving state education-disparity funds, arrived despite Shuler's vow to keep the race focused on issues, not negative campaigning.
Shuler said Wednesday he never authorized the flier - which states "Authorized by Jim Shuler" - and is considering legal action against the Virginia Democratic caucus and a Texas-based direct-mail firm.
"I'm just pretty mad as a hornet, because it's not characteristic of what we were trying to do," Shuler said. "I'm embarrassed that they went around us and mailed it."
Rush learned of the attack ad while making a delivery Wednesday afternoon for Federal Express.
A customer who lives near Radford showed him the flier and noted that Shuler had said he was not going to send out the ad.
Rush said the ad incorrectly characterizes his March 1992 vote on the budget.
"I don't want to get into mudslinging, but the fact is it does say `Authorized by Jim Shuler' on there," Rush said. "I'm sorry that was mailed out, because it's just [full of] untruths.
"Whoever's responsible for it, the ultimate responsibility lies with the candidate," Rush said.
Shuler said he telephoned Rush Wednesday night and told him what had happened with the negative ad.
"It's not authorized by Jim Shuler and not part of our campaign," Shuler said. "I'm really pretty damn embarrassed."
Shuler, who discovered the ad while out campaigning door-to-door Wednesday afternoon on Park Street in Christiansburg, laid the blame on the Democratic caucus staff in Richmond and Gold Communications Co. in Dallas.
Caucus staff members prepared three fliers and faxed drafts to Blacksburg last week, Shuler said. He approved two - one about education, the other about his 20 years of business experience - but rejected the attack ad.
On Monday, he found out the ad had been sent out from Dallas. After threatening Gold and the caucus with a court injunction, he "was assured that the mailing of the flier had been intercepted," according to a statement from the Shuler campaign.
Wednesday afternoon, about 40 percent of the 7,000 to 8,000 fliers were distributed through the post offices in Christiansburg and Pembroke.
"I got on the phone back with the Democratic caucus in Richmond," Shuler said. "I threatened them with a lawsuit if they went forward."
Within 30 minutes, Shuler said, the bulk of the fliers, which were sitting in the Blacksburg post office, were stopped before they were distributed.
"I'll be the first to tell you it's been a struggle to keep it positive," Shuler said. "But we're staying with it, and that's what we're going to do."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB