Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 10, 1995 TAG: 9505100058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum kept his famous rapier wit sheathed Tuesday.
No jabs at Gov. George Allen's attempt to beef up the staffs of his Cabinet secretaries - as he observed this winter, "Cleopatra on her barge on the Nile did not have as many people attending to her as the Cabinet secretaries in the Allen administration."
No stabs at Allen for going on daytime talk shows to push his welfare plan - as he quipped a few weeks ago, ''This is probably the most shameless self-promotion I've ever seen. 'Donahue!' I mean, who was on last week? 'My Mother Dated My Boyfriend?'''
Instead, Woodrum's announcement that he is seeking re-election was downright boring - which was just the way the Roanoke Democrat wanted it. "I'm trying to elevate the discussion and keep the rhetoric on a high plane," he said.
He's also trying to distinguish himself from what promises to be a high-octane attempt by Republicans to dislodge him from the legislative seat he's held for the past 16 years.
When Republican challenger Newell Falkinburg, a Roanoke physician, declared his candidacy last month, his speech was peppered with ideological blasts against the "arrogance" of the incumbent who he said is beholden to "the fat cats and special interests."
So Woodrum countered Tuesday by emphasizing what he considers more low-key and practical things, such as his role in winning state funding for the Hotel Roanoke project. "Running for this office is not a contest of pure partisanship," Woodrum said. "And this isn't just a time for high-decibel rhetoric. We already have rock radio; the rest of us can lower our voices."
Falkinburg was quick to suggest that Woodrum's call for political decorum was somewhat belated. In this winter's General Assembly session, where Democrats deep-sixed most of Allen's agenda, Woodrum's rhetoric was "shameful," Falkinburg said. "I think it was totally partisan."
For his part, Falkinburg pledged to keep the volume turned up high during the upcoming campaign: "Any high decibels will be directed toward his rhetoric and his record."
In the meantime, Woodrum's announcement speech signaled other differences that he and Falkinburg are likely to explore over the course of the campaign:
Woodrum said he was "resolved to represent Roanoke, and not just any one governor or any one cause," implying that Falkinburg is simply an Allen clone - a favorite Democratic approach this year. Some of Woodrum's supporters did more than imply it; they said it outright. Roanokers, said Roanoke Democratic Party Chairman Allen Wilson, have a choice between a "proven leader and somebody who appears to be spouting nothing but Republican Party ideology."
Falkinburg's response? "I don't feel my candidacy represents the governor or that I'm pandering to the governor's proposals," he said, although he pointed out they do share the same conservative philosophy.
Where Falkinburg singled out "bureaucrats" who he said were dictating state policy, Woodrum paid tribute to government workers and appeared to question Allen's emphasis on downsizing state government. "I believe that there are dedicated Virginia workers and federal workers who deserve appreciation and not constant criticism," Woodrum said. "I believe that there are other values in addition to accounting-ledger 'efficiency.'''
Falkinburg, though, contended Woodrum was ignoring a legitimate debate over the cost of state government.
Finally, Woodrum said he believes crime fighting should emphasize prevention, while Falkinburg had stressed punishment and prison building.
Although Woodrum may have tempered his rhetoric Tuesday, the high-profile role he took in frustrating Allen's agenda during the General Assembly session appears to have energized party workers. "It energized me," said Henry Hale, a Yokohoma Tire Corp. worker and Democratic activist who was one of the 100 or so supporters who turned out to hear Woodrum. "He stood up for what he believed in. I think it's got a lot of people energized."
Still, some Democrats fret about whether the Republican call for "change" that won the GOP control of Congress in 1994 will be equally as powerful with Virginia voters this year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election.
"It worries me a lot," said retired Roanoke Clerk of Court Patsy Testerman. "When people get it in their heads to change, they change, whether it's good for the country or not."
Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum
Seeking re-election
Age: 56
Occupation: Lawyer
Political: Democrat, elected to House of Delegates in 1979.
Education: University of North Carolina; University of Virginia Law School.
Personal: Married, three children.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB