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

DATE: SUNDAY, May 7, 1995                   TAG: 9505080094
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

GRAMM SPEAKS AT LIBERTY, IMAGE-BUILDING IN MIND

But the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the university's chancellor who introduced Gramm, did not make it easy for the Texas Republican.

Inserted into each of the 8,000 programs was Jerry Falwell's National Liberty Journal, a newspaper that included an unmistakable warning. While Gramm ``appears to be gaining ground'' on Sen. Bob Dole, the cover article said, ``he remains uncommitted on gays in the military and is said to favor several pro-choice GOP leaders as vice-presidential candidates.''

As if he had read the newspaper, Gramm assured the graduates that he wanted to overturn the administration's ``destructive and unworkable policy on gays in the military.'' And he drew applause when he declared himself against abortion, asserting: ``Let us work toward the day where every unborn child is welcomed into the world and loved when they get here.'' (The university left 13 front-row seats empty - except for caps and gowns - to signify the number of potential graduates who may have been aborted.)

Yet Gramm's appearance, while well received, was only the first step in a process that would hardly have been predicted for the candidate who proclaims he was ``conservative before conservative was cool'': mending fences with prominent conservatives, including the Christian right.

After setting the early pace for Republican contenders by staking a claim as the candidate with the most money, most sure-footed organization, and most indisputable conservative credentials, Gramm has recently run into a series of scrapes.

There has been friction with New Hampshire Republicans who accuse him of undermining their tradition of holding the nation's first primary in favor of states where he has more support. Gramm has had other difficulties as well, including the defection of some supporters to the campaign of Dole, though it is far too early to know whether these setbacks will seriously affect his campaign.

Still, the biggest and probably most unexpected problem for Gramm, and the one that could most threaten his prospects in the Republican primary, is strain in his relations with social conservatives, who complain that the senator is much more passionate about economic matters and has devoted scant attention to social issues like abortion.