ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605200091
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
REPUBLICANS GATHERED across Virginia on Saturday for five congressional district conventions - events that spotlighted how angry many conservative activists are with Sen. John Warner.
After refusing to support key Republican nominees in the last two state elections, U.S. Sen. John Warner on Saturday asked angry party activists to support him in the tightly contested June 11 GOP primary.
Warner received a polite but chilly reception during appearances at three Republican congressional district conventions across Tidewater.
Meanwhile, at GOP district conventions in Western Virginia, surrogate speakers for Warner were roundly jeered.
At the 6th District convention in Bridgewater, former Del. Pete Giesen of Waynesboro had to shout above cat-calls from supporters of Warner's opponent, former federal budget chief Jim Miller. "I know a lot of you are angry as hell with John Warner - perhaps with good reason," Giesen said. "Hear me out."
And at the 5th District convention in Bedford County, surrogate William Meredith of Franklin County was drowned out by boos and shouts of "traitor," "betrayal" and "go home."
Many activists from the conservative wing of the party have been furious at Warner's refusal to support two recent GOP nominees: Mike Farris for lieutenant governor in 1993, and Oliver North for U.S. Senate in 1994.
Warner says his conscience would not allow him to support North, who was a key figure in the Iran-Contra affair of the mid-80s. He said he did not know enough about Farris - an outspoken critic of public schools - to endorse him.
The activists hold Warner responsible for the defeats of both candidates in general elections. Now the activists are vowing to extract revenge by backing Miller in next month's primary.
"I used to be for John Warner," said Steven Smith, a businessman from James City County and a delegate at the 1st District Republican convention. "But I got tired of being stabbed in the back and slapped in the face. Loyalty is important to me."
"I wouldn't trust John Warner with my cat," said Don Calaman of Martinsville, a delegate to the 5th District GOP convention.
Just how big a role these conservative activists will play in the primary is an open question. Many of the angry party insiders are highly motivated to cast ballots for Miller and are in a position to use their organizational skills to help his campaign. Strategists say they could carry the day for Miller if turnout is light.
However, Warner hopes to ensure a heavy primary turnout of 400,000 voters or more by advertising on radio and television. Stressing job-creation and economic issues, he has aimed his appeal at independent and moderate voters who do not participate directly in Republican Party affairs.
Their differing approaches can be seen in the endorsements they've collected. Warner last week picked up the backing of retired Gen. Colin Powell, who hailed Warner as "a man of integrity [who] will do what he thinks is right even if it causes some political difficulty''; Miller has touted his support by the National Rifle Association, whose leaders say Warner's voting record isn't conservative enough.
Both campaigns are acknowledging that Miller's core support is in the rural Western portion of the state, while Warner's support appears strongest in the populous suburbs of Northern Virginia and Tidewater, where he campaigned Saturday.
Although Miller charged that Warner has been afraid to appear at the Republican congressional district conventions in Western Virginia, where most delegates have sported Miller stickers, Warner said he visited the ones in Tidewater instead because his schedule had already put him there Friday night for a fund-raiser.
Warner on Saturday dismissed the suggestion that his party loyalty was anything more than a side issue to a few thousand Republican die-hards. "There's hundreds of thousands of people outside the core of the state party that would rather talk about creating jobs," he said.
In addition to party loyalty, conservatives have criticized Warner for what they call an inconsistent voting record on abortion rights and his 1987 vote against the unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork.
In speeches Saturday, Warner suggested those votes were atypical of an otherwise conservative voting record.
"I've voted more than 7,000 times in the Senate," the 18-year incumbent said. "You bet you can find one or two votes you won't like. But when you put it all together, there's a proven conservative voting record."
As evidence, Warner cited his high ratings from a number of conservative special-interest groups - including the Christian Coalition.
At the 2nd District convention in Virginia Beach, Warner ran into Miller's wife, who spoke on her husband's behalf. At the 1st District Convention in Williamsburg, Warner ran into Miller himself.
"Your wife was good this morning," Warner said.
"She's always good," Miller replied, making his way past Warner.
Warner, at each of the Tidewater stops, spoke about his role as second-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and his efforts to protect military jobs and shipbuilding in the region. His surrogate at the 6th District convention highlighted Warner's position as the second-ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which he said put Warner in a position to help farmers in the Shenandoah Valley and elsewhere in the state. Giesen also emphasized Warner's role in raising money for the Virginia Wildlife Center in Waynesboro.
Miller made a more direct appeal to the activists. "John Warner says he's principled, but let me tell you something: His idea of principles is what serves John Warner.
"I don't think it's a principled thing for anyone who is elected to the Senate not to be loyal to the party who put him there," Miller added. "John Warner stabbed this party in the back, and now he expects this party to lift him on its shoulder, and I think that's wrong."
Among the party activists who said they are dismayed with Warner was religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, who attended the 2nd District convention in Virginia Beach. Although Robertson said he does not plan to play a major role in the campaign, he noted that he has made a $1,000 personal contribution to Miller's campaign and given nothing to Warner.
"Loyalty is a crucial issue," Robertson said in a brief interview. "I don't think John Warner has ever felt comfortable with the conservative wing of the party."
Staff writers Richard Foster and Dwayne Yancey contributed to this report.
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB