Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 10, 1994 TAG: 9410100080
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: BEALETON LENGTH: Short
``Certainly we have vital national interests there,'' the Republican Senate nominee said after campaigning at a gun exposition in Fauquier County.
The United States began massing warplanes, missiles and ground troops in the Persian Gulf on Sunday to counter Iraqi maneuvers seen as threatening neighboring Kuwait.
``Despots around the globe have learned that this president is incapable of carrying out the vital commitments of this nation,'' North said. ``He has created a hollow military'' by cutting defense budgets far beyond what is prudent, North said.
Nonetheless, if he was in the Senate and voting whether to support Clinton in the current troop movements, North said he would.
``I would have insisted the president take whatever steps are necessary to protect our vital interests in the Mideast,'' said North.
At the gun show, North drew applause when he denounced Clinton's newly passed crime bill, which would outlaw some of the weapons on display.
``The reasons why we don't have safe streets today has got nothing to do with gun control,'' North said.
In a brief speech, North mentioned Clinton more often than he did his chief opponent in the race, Democratic Sen. Charles Robb.
``This election is about what government is going to do to us and how much government is going to take from us,'' North said.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB