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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 17, 1994                   TAG: 9409190018
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

MILLER SUPPORTS FAST AT GOP FUND-RAISER

For 9th District congressional challenger Steve Fast, Thursday was Miller time.

Former U.S. Senate hopeful Jim Miller gave a folksy, emphatic endorsement to help Fast raise money for his bid to upset six-term Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon.

The gathering of 150 Republicans in Blacksburg raised more than $5,000, said Montgomery County GOP Chairman Pat Cupp. It came a day after an Abingdon dinner featuring Gov. George Allen pushed the Fast campaign over the $130,000 mark. That's still a far cry from Boucher's $600,000-plus war chest, but more than his last GOP opponent was able to raise.

The Fast campaign plans to step up fund raising in coming weeks. On Oct. 10, former Bush Cabinet secretary and expected 1996 presidential contender Jack Kemp will stump with Fast.

Miller, who lost the Senate nomination to Oliver North in June, criticized Boucher but reserved his harshest words for President Clinton.

"Bill Clinton is a disaster," Miller said. His fearless prediction: "Bill Clinton will be a one-term president."

"Rick Boucher walks a fine line between trying to do a few little conservative things - because he knows the Fighting 9th is conservative - but he supports his president," Miller said.

"The polling information looks good for [Fast]. I'm not surprised. Rick Boucher has not been a good congressman for this district and Rick Boucher votes for Bill Clinton. Steve Fast will vote for you."

While he has stood by Clinton through his campaign, Boucher doesn't always vote with the White House. He opposed the plan to increase tobacco taxes to fund health reform, and also opposes U.S. military intervention in Haiti.

Fast, 33, picked up on Miller's theme in ticking off three main reforms he wants to work on in Washington: changing the tax structure to reduce taxes for working families; using "common-sense, conservative" measures to improve the country's health-care system, such as encouraging medical savings accounts; and reforming Congress with term limits, staffing cuts and steps to limit the power of committee chairmen.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB