Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 1, 1994 TAG: 9411010096
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
From a lamb fetus left on Payne's doorstep to campaign ads using words such as "sleazy," the House race has gotten notably nastier.
The race sizzled this weekend as Landrith's second television ad debuted. It accused Payne of "lining his pockets" with $237,000 in campaign contributions that were spent for advertisements prepared by the Charlottesville-based ad firm Payne, Ross & Associates - which is run by Payne's wife, Susan.
Landrith also said that Payne, who is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, voted against investigating allegations of criminal wrongdoing by the committee's former chairman, Rep. Dan Rostenkowski. Rostenkowski was indicted by the Justice Department in June on 17 counts, including mail fraud and embezzlement of public funds.
Payne has responded in kind, unleashing a blitzkrieg of television and radio attack ads that criticize Landrith's signing of the Contract with America, a Republican pledge to provide legislation such as a balanced-budget amendment. One Payne commercial features slowed-down footage of Landrith walking across a stage to sign the document amidst Republican leaders. Landrith almost looks as if he is goose-stepping, and the announcer says Landrith is marching to the tune of the party bosses, "signing what he's told."
Payne said the Republican proposals would cost the American taxpayer $1 trillion, not to mention cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits.
In his sixth and latest television ad, which will air today, Payne says Landrith "has stepped over the line" in attacking his wife's involvement in his campaign. "It's a family affair," the ad says defensively.
"George Landrith attacking a family - sleazy politics at its worst," the announcer concludes as the words "sleazy politics" are stamped in red over Landrith's face.
And then there's the lamb fetus. Susan Payne opened the door of the Paynes' Nelson County home about a week ago and discovered a box sitting on the porch. Inside the box was an apple sauce jar containing the fetus. L.F. Payne supports the right to an abortion, but not with federal funding.
The Payne camp isn't saying much about the fetus, except that it was "upsetting" to the couple. A subsequent investigation by the Nelson County Sheriff's Office came up blank.
"I can guarantee you it had nothing to do with my campaign," Landrith said. "I condemn anyone putting stuff on his doorstep. I don't agree with that."
Landrith also said he "wouldn't be surprised if [Payne's supporters] planted it there."
Whatever its origins, the aborted lamb is a symbol of how fiery the rhetoric has become.
"The negativity and the aggressive, mean-spirited nature of [House candidates'] ads is more pervasive this year than in previous campaigns," said Julian Kanter, founder and curator of the University of Oklahoma's Political Commercial Archive. "We have certainly seen an increase in attack ads and negative ads in local and statewide elections across the nation."
Dedicated to the study of political communications, the archive holds more than 54,000 paid political television and radio ads dating back to the 1950s.
At this point in the campaign, Kanter said, most Democrats are not identifying themselves as such and are downplaying the significance of national issues in their ads. "The Democrats want to localize their campaigns. They want to make their campaigns based on local issues and the character of the candidates."
So far, Payne, who has talked in his ads about textiles and tobacco - key industries in the 5th - is sticking to the script. He doesn't identify himself as a Democrat in his ads and refers to himself as "independent" - and to Republicans as an ominous-sounding "them." He accuses Landrith of spreading lies and distortions and wonders how such a man could represent the 5th with honor.
The strategy might be working. Political experts who predicted sweeping Election Day victories for Republicans have begun to reassess that picture. Local pundits who previously predicted a Payne loss now say he will pull out a close victory on Nov. 8.
Kanter said Republicans probably deliberately overstated their chances of victory to increase fund raising. Another factor contributing to the Democrats' improving fortunes could be a small rise in President Clinton's public approval ratings as a result of his actions in Haiti and the Persian Gulf.
But especially in Virginia, where the volatile Senate race between Oliver North and Charles Robb has garnered considerable media coverage, the House races have gotten off to a late start.
With Congress in session later than usual, Republican challengers had been getting much more news coverage, Kanter said. But now that Democrats have been freed from their legislative duties, "they'll be out there fighting visibly to retain their seats."
Though many Democrats still may lose elections, Kanter said, "I do believe the Democrats are fighting back and their efforts will bear some fruit."
Payne has fought aggressively, but he still finds himself having to answer many of Landrith's charges.
"Defensive? I'm not worried about being perceived as defensive," Payne said. "I'm attempting to get the facts out there. Landrith's attacked my character and my credibility and I'm not going to let it continue."
Payne did pay his wife's advertising firm more than $237,000, but not all at once, as the ad might imply. His wife's firm worked for every one of his five campaigns and earned the money cumulatively. This fall, the campaign has spent about $28,000 with Payne, Ross & Associates for print advertising.
"The implication there is that I'm somehow doing something illegal or criminally wrong. Bringing my wife into the campaign shows there's no bounds that Landrith will go to to distort my record or impugn my credibility."
But Landrith said, "I think people need to know who's benefiting from the Payne campaign. I think it's a sleazy tactic for him to enrich himself and his family by running for Congress. If he thinks it's inappropriate for me to mention this, that shows how out of touch he is. It shows why he shouldn't be in Congress."
As for votes against congressional investigations of Rostenkowski and other House scandals, the Payne camp says those votes were made at the urging of the Justice Department, which asked House representatives not to interfere in their criminal investigations. Payne also voted for full disclosure of House banking records.
Landrith stands by his charges, saying that Payne voted against a joint investigation into Rostenkowski to be conducted by the House and the Justice Department.
In a recent radio ad for Payne, an almost exaggerated hillbilly-like voiceover says that Payne was "instrumental in killing the Clinton health care plan."
Payne provided the swing vote to get the bill out of committee as part of a negotiation for a lower proposed tax on cigarettes. Payne didn't support the bill on the House floor. The health care plan and the cigarette tax later died.
That's a far cry from being instrumental in killing it, Landrith said.
As he heads into the home stretch, Landrith said, "I don't want to get personal. Every complaint I've had is against his voting record. My track record for sticking to the issues is real good. All he's done is whine and groan about us making his voting record public.
"Well, we'll just shine the light a little brighter on L.F. Payne and watch him squirm as he hides in his liberal closet."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB