Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503030141
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Miller made a surprisingly strong showing last year in an unsuccessful campaign for the GOP Senate nomination against Oliver North.
In a four-page letter mailed this week to GOP activists across the state, Miller denounced Warner for being disloyal to the Republican Party. In 1993, Warner refused to endorse Mike Farris, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor. Last year, Warner dismissed North as a liar and strongly backed independent candidate Marshall Coleman for the Senate.
Miller said Warner's actions were instrumental in the narrow defeats of Farris and North. ``Senator Warner's disloyalty to the Republican Party and our nominees must not go unchallenged,'' he said.
Miller, 52, said he had planned to wait until November to announce his candidacy but was forced to accelerate his schedule in the wake of Warner's aggressive campaigning. Former President Bush is scheduled to appear at a Richmond fund-raising dinner for Warner on April 10.
``I really regret having to step up the schedule, but Warner is out there beating the bushes,'' Miller said. He accused Warner of breaking a recent pledge by future Republican statewide candidates not to conduct campaign activities that could interfere with the fund-raising efforts of GOP legislative candidates up for election this fall.
Warner, first elected to the Senate in 1978, welcomed Miller's challenge. ``The more, the merrier,'' he said with a laugh.
He said half of the proceeds from his fund-raiser with Bush will go to GOP legislative candidates this year. ``I haven't broken my pledge at all,'' he said.
Warner noted that last month, Miller presented him with an award on behalf of Citizens for a Sound Economy for a ``perfect'' voting record on fiscal matters. Miller is a former chairman of the public interest group.
``If you look at Miller's letter, he says nothing about my voting record,'' Warner said. ``He simply attacks me for putting principle ahead of politics'' by refusing to support North and Farris.
Warner's rejection of North and Farris, his 1987 vote against the confirmation of Robert Bork for the U.S. Supreme Court and his defense of abortion rights have damaged his standing with conservative leaders of the state Republican Party. Rather than face their wrath at a political convention in 1996, Warner is insisting that the GOP hold a primary election to make its Senate nomination.
Miller won the gratitude of many Republican insiders by actively campaigning for North after Miller lost the Senate nomination. He has a $135,000 campaign debt left from his candidacy last year. Miller said he hopes to pay most of it off this year.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB