Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 20, 1994 TAG: 9402200086
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
A barrage of charges and counter-charges that began Thursday continued Saturday in Norfolk as 250 state Republican leaders convened at the Omni Hotel. North's camp accused Miller, a former federal budget chief, of being a Washington insider whose current hardline stands against abortion and federal aid to the National Endowment for the Arts are inconsistent with his record.
Earlier, retired Army Gen. John Singlaub, a Miller supporter, called North a liar. Singlaub, among 14 high-ranking military retirees who endorsed Miller, said North broke his oath as a Marine officer by misleading Congress in the mid-1980s investigation of arms sales to Iran and illegal aid to Nicaragua's Contra rebels.
North responded by releasing Miller's military records, which showed Miller was granted a student deferment four times while studying for his doctoral degree in the mid-1960s.
The charges come on the heels of two newspaper polls showing that North has lost substantial ground to U.S. Sen. Charles Robb - the front-runner for the Democratic nomination - since announcing his candidacy last month.
The campaign enters a critical phase for Miller and North this week as Republicans across the state begin a five-week process of choosing delegates to their state convention in June.
Miller, passing out copies of the recent poll results to GOP leaders this weekend, is arguing that North - should he win the nomination - may prove unelectable. Miller said North's sudden attacks suggest that momentum may be turning.
"After ignoring me for months, why else would he suddenly shower me with attention?" Miller asked. "Electability has become the No. 1 concern and that's the reason you're seeing these scurrilous representations."
North said his campaign merely has responded to a fight Miller started. "I did not fire the first shot, but I will not sit here and let other people open fire on me," he said.
If the GOP meeting in Norfolk is a good indicator, North's lead for the nomination still appears strong. Only a smattering of Republican leaders in town for an annual business and social gathering wore Miller stickers on their lapels; about half displayed North stickers.
A Friday night hospitality suite hosted by Miller drew only a few people. One floor below, an overflow crowd pushed at the doors of a North reception.
"Ollie North is a real American hero," said Paul Varso, a retired county administrator from Wise County. "I've never seen a candidate cause more excitement. I can't see any way he can lose."
North said he is recruiting 350 delegates a day for the convention. "He's attracting new blood in the Republican Party," said Gary Byler, a Virginia Beach lawyer. "All he has to do is take an ad out saying he'll be somewhere and hundreds of people will come and sign on as delegates."
Damaro Rice, a Petersburg real estate appraiser who supports Miller, said she is worried the party will hand the election to Robb if North is nominated. "I honestly do not believe Ollie North can win," she said. "Whether you agree with what he did in Iran-Contra or not, Ollie North has a cloud over his head. Just look at the polls."
A late January survey by Mason-Dixon Opinion Research Inc. of Columbia, Md., showed North trailing Robb, 49 percent to 32 percent, and even losing to little-known Democratic challenger Sylvia Clute. Miller, although known by just half as many voters as North, trailed Robb 42-27 and ran ahead of Clute. Forty-seven percent of the voters surveyed had a negative impression of North.
Last week, a Washington Post poll showed North trailing Robb, 53-37.
"I think the North-Miller contest is getting closer than most people thought," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist. "People are getting concerned in the wake of North's collapse after he announced [his candidacy]. This may be the only case in history of a candidate declining during his announcement period instead of getting a bounce."
North strategists said they are not worried. They say North is a superb communicator who will raise upwards of $15 million for a television campaign that will take his case directly to voters this fall.
"In 1987, when the media was constantly attacking Col. North, his approval rating was down at 16 percent," said Mark Merritt, a spokesman for North. "But after he went before Congress in the televised hearings, his approval ratings soared over 60 percent. You'll see the same performance again this year."
Jim Ferriera, a GOP activist from Abingdon, agreed. "When he goes on TV, people are going to remember the first time they fell in love with him," he said.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB