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

DATE: TUESDAY, September 12, 1995                   TAG: 9509120065
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE AND WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

ALLEN BACKERS ACCUSE DEMOCRATS

A Republican fund-raising group on Monday accused Democratic legislators of trying to tie themselves to Gov. George Allen's popularity in this fall's elections, despite having killed many of his proposals last winter.

The Campaign for Honest Change, a political action committee controlled by Allen, released a scorecard that concluded the average Democrat supported the governor less then 20 percent of the time on key votes.

"They can't have it both ways," said Anne Petera, a board member of Allen's PAC. "They can't trash the governor in the winter during the session with their votes, then come back in the fall with cheap, hollow words of support."

Leaders of the PAC complained that several uncooperative Democrats are now using pictures of themselves with Allen in campaign literature and television commercials. Among those accused of the "deception" were state Sen. Clarence Holland of Virginia Beach and Del. George Heilig of Norfolk.

That hasn't been the case in races in Western Virginia, where many Democrats have been only too happy to point out their differences with Allen, charging that Allen's budget proposals would have cut funding for education and local projects, such as the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.

The group computed the percentage of time legislators supported the governor on 27 votes in the House of Delegates and 14 in the Senate.

Del. Kirk Cox, a Colonial Heights Republican who is the PAC's honorary chairman, said the group selected votes on proposals it considered critical components to Allen's agenda.

But the organization omitted a number of votes that would either have deflated Republicans' high levels of support for Allen or inflated the rating of Democrats.

For example, the ratings do not include a series of votes in February when most Republicans rejected spending cuts proposed by Allen. And Democrats who did not support an early version of a proposed welfare reform bill were penalized, even if they voted for a subsequent draft that Allen ultimately signed into law.

"It looks like they're trying to rewrite history," Gail Nardi, a spokeswoman for General Assembly Democrats, said of the scorecard.

Cox said the PAC will distribute the scorecards widely this fall.

ALLEN SUPPORT INDEX

How legislators in Western Virginia ranked

SENATE

Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County 100%

Malfourd "Bo" Trumbo, R-Fincastle 100%

William Wampler, R-Bristol 100%

Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount 64%

Frank Nolen, D-Augusta County 33%

Elliot Schewel, D-Lynchburg 23%

Jackson Reasor, D-Bluefield 20%

Madison Marye, D-Shawsville 18%

HOUSE

Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg 100%

Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst County 96%

Morgan Griffith, R-Salem 91%

Allen Dudley, R-Rocky Mount 91%

Tommy Baker, R-Pulaski County 61%

Lacey Putney, I-Bedford County 46%

Vic Thomas, D-Roanoke 29%

Roscoe Reynolds, D-Henry County 22%

Creigh Deeds, D-Warm Springs 17%

Ward Armstrong, D-Henry County 13%

Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg 9%

Richard Cranwell, D-Roanoke County 4.5%

Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, D-Roanoke County 4.5%

by CNB