Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 26, 1994 TAG: 9410260044
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Party Chairman Patrick McSweeney suggested recently that he may remove a larger-than-life photograph of Holton - the pioneer who became Virginia's first GOP governor this century - from the headquarters lobby because Holton has shunned Oliver North, the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate.
``We will have to take appropriate action,'' McSweeney told reporters a few weeks ago.
Late last week, however, Holton's photo still was displayed alongside those of his three GOP successors: Mills Goodwin, John Dalton, George Allen.
North waffles on press
North had some unusually kind words for the media after press reports suggested that former Gov. Douglas Wilder had put a price on his endorsement of incumbent U.S. Sen. Charles Robb, a Democrat.
In an interview with a Northern Virginia TV station, North referred to the media as ``guardians of the truth'' and urged reporters to get to the bottom of allegations that Wilder had asked President Clinton for a roving ambassadorship to Africa in exchange for a Robb endorsement.
The next day, however, North went back to attacking the ``leftist'' media.
The reason?
Three Virginia newspapers published articles suggesting North failed to report suspicions of drug-dealing during illegal White House efforts to arm Nicaraguan rebels in the mid-1980s.
``In the last days of this campaign, the liberal media will do everything in its power to see that I'm not elected,'' North told The Washington Post.
On Monday, though, North was once again calling on the ``guardians of the truth'' to investigate a leaked memo in which Clinton's budget director outlined possible tax increases and cuts in entitlement programs that might be considered to reduce the deficit.
The normal thing to do?
President Clinton got some unintended laughs last Friday night in defending his record against the claim by Republican House Whip Newt Gingrich of Georgia that Clinton is an "enemy of normal Americans."
Speaking to 700 Democrats in Alexandria, Clinton noted that he and Robb had fought to reduce the deficit, expand low-interest college loans and make it easier for working parents to get leave to care for sick children.
``What is it that we object to that we have done together that is not normal?''
There was a spattering of nervous laughter, as the line brought to mind one thing Robb and Clinton have in common: allegations of womanizing.
THE LATEST ODDS
The University of Iowa runs a computerized political stock market. Political junkies from around the world can plug in via the Internet to buy and sell ``shares'' in various political candidates, based on how much of the vote they're expected to get in November.
North may be gaining in the opinion polls, but he's losing ground in cyberspace. Here's how the trading went last week on Virginia's Senate race:
NORTH - down 2.2 percentage points,
to 37.5 percent
ROBB - up 0.6 percentage point,
to 42.4 percent
COLEMAN - down 0.6 percentage point, to 13.9 percent
The investors seem pretty sure Robb's margin will hold. Some 60.5 percent are buying stock in Robb, thinking he will win. Only 38.9 percent are banking on a North victory. Coleman? Almost no one is betting on the independent.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB