Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503060050
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The former mayor of Indianapolis, who was first elected to the Senate in 1976, declared his serious demeanor will appeal to an American electorate that rejects the notion that ``charisma substitutes for substance. ... My feeling is that perhaps people have had enough of that and are really prepared for a serious president.''
Affirming his commitment to reduce the deficit, Lugar said the defeat of the balanced-budget amendment this week ``will make that [deficit reduction] tougher'' and ``to cut taxes in the face of that situation is simply to increase the pain down the road.''
The 62-year-old senator argued that the probability that he will not be able to compete with the campaign fund-raising abilities of Sens. Phil Gramm, R-Tex., and Bob Dole, R-Kan., will not preclude him from the race. ``I've rejected the idea that there should be an entry fee of $20-25 million to even be considered for president of the United States. I think the public will find that obnoxious and will reject what amounts to really a competition for raising money.''
He said the ``official announcement'' of his candidacy will take place April 29 in Indianapolis.
Lugar, whose legislative experience on Capitol Hill lies in foreign relations and agriculture, said he plans to run on a firm commitment to budget cutting, noting that he is prepared to campaign in Iowa on a program calling for a steady reduction of price supports over the next five years.
Lugar joined most of his competitors seeking the GOP nomination in voicing opposition to racial preferences and quotas. ``My own view has always been of trying to bring about conditions of opportunity so the people had a chance at the starting line, as opposed to quotas or results orientation.'' Once access to opportunity has been provided, then people ``have to compete on merit,'' he said.
Lugar voiced his strongest criticism of President Clinton in the area of foreign relations. He argued that the United States in the aftermath of the Cold War has the opportunity to ``lead the world'' but has not exercised the option. ``The Germans, the English, the French, the Italians all expect that we're going to lead. They are frankly disappointed we have not.''
Lugar, whose national reputation for conservatism led him to be known as ``Richard Nixon's favorite mayor,'' challenged the uniqueness implied in Gramm's claim that he was ``conservative before it was cool.'' Lugar said he ``was demonstrating conservative policies in Indianapolis ... long before Senator Gramm was discovering that conservatism was cool.''
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB