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

DATE: THURSDAY, July 20, 1995                   TAG: 9507200074
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

CLINTON, ROBB TO HELP CLEAR WILDER'S DEBT

About 2,000 invitations have been sent out to the $1,000-per-person fund-raiser Aug. 2 at a McLean home. Lt. Gov. Don Beyer is Robb's co-host for the event.

The debts are about $40,000 from Wilder's 1992 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and about $100,000 from his independent campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1994, when Wilder ran against Robb.

Wilder said Wednesday he is having trouble retiring his debt.

Thanking Robb, Beyer and Clinton for their efforts, he said: ``I am confident that their presence and fund raising on my behalf will undoubtedly do much toward that end. Clearly, they all understand that fund raising as a sitting officeholder is hard enough, but it's doubly hard as a private citizen.''

During his 1994 Senate race, Wilder at first said Robb was unfit to represent Virginia. But he pulled out of the race in September and endorsed Robb at a dinner in mid-October where Clinton was the main attraction.

Support by Wilder, the nation's only elected black governor, is credited with helping attract the black voters Robb needed to defeat Republican challenger Oliver North.

Although they had been feuding for years, Wilder and Robb insisted there was no deal that prompted Wilder to change his mind and stump vigorously for Robb.

Dave Johnson, executive director of the state Republican Party, said: ``We were wondering what the payback was going to be. We assumed it had to be money since no principle at all was involved on Wilder's part. To go from the things he said publicly about Robb to actively supporting him ... no one could be that shallow.''

North, who now is host of a syndicated radio show, said, ``It's Little Rock politics brought to Washington. It's a payola. What a great crowd - they're made for each other.''

Glenn K. Davidson, Wilder's aide, said there never was any deal, although Robb indicated from the outset that he would try to help Wilder retire his debt.

A White House spokeswoman said Clinton rarely raises funds for people who are not candidates.

Robb is helping Wilder before his own debt is retired. He owes about $100,000 from the successful Senate campaign.

Keywords:
POLITICS