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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 18, 1995                   TAG: 9510180052
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

LINKOUS TELLS AUDIENCES HE'LL ACT INDEPENDENTLY OF GOVERNOR

Twice in two days Blacksburg Republican Larry Linkous has defended his independence from his party in his effort to unseat Del. Jim Shuler.

Linkous, speaking before the Blacksburg Kiwanis Monday, lashed out at the suggestion he would be nothing more than a tool of Gov. George Allen.

Tuesday, speaking with Shuler and state Senate candidates before the American Association of Retired Persons in Blacksburg, Linkous seemed frustrated to have his independence questioned again.

Both times, Shuler did nothing to provoke the comments. Instead, with the Kiwanis, Linkous responded to a Shuler supporter's letter to the editor in the Sunday New River Current, and Tuesday he replied to pointed questions and comments from the audience.

The issue is particularly relevant in the 12th House District, given the unpopularity of the governor and his budget-cutting agenda among many state employees. The district is one Republicans want to capture in the party's bid to win control of the General Assembly.

"I resent questions ... every question that's asked tries to tie us with somebody else," Linkous said. "I'm not on anybody's coattail."

Yet, at the same time, Linkous suggested he would be the better candidate because of his connections with the Allen administration.

"We will be the ones in control and we will be the ones making the rules. And that's why you need to have someone in the Republican Party that can stand up and talk for you," Linkous said. "Jim has admitted in a couple of cases that I have better access right now to getting things done with our present administration than he does."

Shuler drew laughter with his deadpan response: "I'm not quite sure I've ever admitted anything like that. I know he is a much closer friend of yours than mine.

"The same agenda that we as Democrats had to fend off ... will be back," Shuler said. "To me it's very important the numbers in the House and the Senate hold. I think it's a good check and balance system for our way of government."

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB