Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 3, 1993 TAG: 9312030227
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROB EURE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Two days before a showdown on McSweeney's future before the GOP State Central Committee, the party's governing body, Allen spokesman Ken Stroupe detailed a litany of what he said were betrayals by McSweeney. The list included "stacking" a February meeting of Republican donors against Allen to "actively steer away the business community" from Allen's campaign.
McSweeney counterattacked Thursday night. His closest supporter in the GOP hierarchy blasted Allen's staff as "stupid" and sought to refocus the Allen-McSweeney fight as a battle between moderates and conservatives.
Morton Blackwell, a Republican national committeeman and leader of the GOP's most conservative wing, met with the governor-elect on McSweeney's behalf Thursday night. Then he sent Allen a six-page diatribe attacking his staff.
"To put them where they run or dominate the state party headquarters would, I am quite certain, quickly involve you in a systematic political bloodbath as they try to use the party to wreak revenge on strong conservatives and others whom they dislike all across Virginia," Blackwell wrote.
In an interview, Blackwell acknowledged that Allen may not see his fight with McSweeney in those terms. "But inevitably, it becomes an ideological battle," he said.
Friction between Republican moderates and conservatives - whose ranks have grown in recent years with the infusion of thousands of evangelical and fundamentalist Christians - has led to bitter infighting and a string of defeats in the past decade.
Allen broke that pattern with his 17-percentage point landslide last month, but now his feud with McSweeney threatens to splinter the party along the same lines.
Allen allies are expected to ask the central committee on Saturday to pass a resolution of no confidence in McSweeney. The committee could remove the chairman if 75 percent of its members agree, but under party rules they might have to wait a month to do so. It was not clear Thursday if Allen can command that many votes.
"It is clear [McSweeney] does not enjoy majority support of Republican leaders. Without that support he cannot be effective," Stroupe asserted Thursday.
Stroupe's charges - the first time Allen's camp has publicly outlined its case against McSweeney - were bolstered Thursday by a Northern Virginia lawyer who said that in a September meeting McSweeney was "actively trying to discourage Allen supporters."
In a letter being circulated among party activists, Fredrick H. Goldbecker of Arlington said that when he brought several charges against Democratic nominee Mary Sue Terry to McSweeney's attention, the chairman tried to "impress upon me that George Allen didn't stand a snowball in hell's chance of election and that `George is 28 points behind Mary Sue.' "
"I knew that wasn't true," Goldbecker said Thursday. "This was about a week after the Washington Post had reported Allen was 6 points down. Do I think he was trying to dampen support for Allen? Damn right. Absolutely."
Goldbecker, who described himself as an independent, wrote the letter last week to two Northern Virginia Republican activists and Allen supporters.
Stroupe said Goldbecker's charge is the latest in a series of incidents showing McSweeney's lack of support for Allen.
"For well over one year, the chairman has very actively worked to undermine Gov.-elect Allen's candidacy through behind-the-scenes maneuvers and then put up a public show of support for him," Stroupe said.
Stroupe said businessmen invited to the February meeting that McSweeney set up have told Allen "the purpose was to get him to withdraw from the race for governor and run for lieutenant governor."
Stroupe said that during the spring nomination contests, McSweeney "attempted to create division within the party by telling members of the Richmond business community that [lieutenant governor candidate] Mike Farris would be a disaster, while at the same time telling Mr. Farris' supporters we were backing his opponent" for the nomination.
Stroupe also charged that McSweeney worked prior to Allen's nomination "to steer potential donors away from George Allen by telling them to give to the state party because that money would be used to help George." Then, immediately after the convention, McSweeney blocked a request from Allen for $50,000 from the party to help his then-ailing campaign.
Blackwell characterized that incident as "a financial raid, a sneak attack, poorly planned, dishonestly argued, bungled and failed," by Allen's staff.
Stroupe said Allen decided to make his grievances with McSweeney public to "definitively state that this is not a personality conflict, and by no means an ideological or philosophical conflict. This is a question of loyalty."
"This kind of activity is inexcusable by a party chairman," he added.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB