
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 11, 1995                   TAG: 9503130060
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARGARET EDDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                 LENGTH: Medium

WILDER TALKS TOUGH, SAYS HE WON'T RUN

Former Democratic Gov. Douglas Wilder claimed credit Friday for U.S. Sen. Charles Robb's 1994 re-election, chided Democrats for failing to properly credit his budget-cutting efforts and took himself out of contention in next year's U.S. Senate election.

Along the way in his morning talk show on WRVA radio, Wilder had harsh words for House of Delegates Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County, a fellow Democrat who last week verbally pummeled Wilder.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, Wilder's morning guest, managed to inject a few words. "My experience is, Governor, you always ask much tougher questions of Democrats than Republicans," an amused Beyer said, responding to Wilder's assertion that any good talk show host can't mince words.

"If you want me to be quiet and only say the nice thing, ... I am as sorry as I can be, that is not my style," Wilder said.

The former governor began the morning broadcast by recalling some "very mean, nasty remarks" made by Cranwell at a news conference last week. Among other comments, Cranwell accused Wilder of being a "big-debt politician" and said he'd be pleased to have Wilder campaign against him this fall.

"As the titular head of the party," Wilder asked Beyer, would the lieutenant governor want Wilder campaigning for Democrats next autumn?

"I was the first to say" that Wilder's backing of Robb in the 1994 Senate race made a difference, Beyer said.

"It made the difference, if you won't say it," shot back Wilder, noting that black voters more than provided Robb's victory margin over Republican Oliver North.

Wilder also complained that Cranwell, who accused him of increasing the state debt, had wanted to borrow even more money in 1992 for road projects. And Wilder complained that during the last General Assembly session, Democrats took credit due him for holding the line on taxes and spending during his 1990-94 term.

"You were tough and you were strong, and we got through it," Beyer acknowledged.

Wilder took umbrage with the word "we," noting that he had to fight both Democrats and Republicans to bring Virginia through the recession without a tax increase. "They never say ... `under Doug Wilder,''' when talking about how well-managed Virginia has been, Wilder said. "Isn't it amazing?''

Asked by Beyer if he might run for the Senate next year, Wilder was unequivocal. "I am not and will not be, and there are no circumstances under which I would be" a candidate, he said.

Wilder suggested that the 13 black members of the legislature, all of whom voted against a welfare reform measure approved last month, had been left out of the negotiations on the bill.

"I disagree with you," said Beyer, who helped forge an agreement between Republican Gov. George Allen's administration and the assembly's Democratic majority. "They were at every meeting, every step of the way."

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB