ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 30, 1996 TAG: 9605300091
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
Former Gov. Mills Godwin said Wednesday that he prefers Jim Miller over incumbent U.S. Sen. John Warner in the June 11 Republican primary.
"I think he's qualified and he'd be a good senator," Godwin said of Miller in a telephone interview.
But Godwin declined to characterize his statement as a formal endorsement. Neither would he explain why he would abandon Warner, a three-term incumbent who has upset some in the conservative wing of the party.
"I don't want to get into it," Godwin said. "I'll be making a statement soon."
Earlier in the day, the Miller campaign tried to force Godwin's hand by announcing the "endorsement" at a luncheon attended by 250 supporters at the exclusive Commonwealth Club in Richmond.
The Miller campaign hoped the nod from Godwin would solidify support among an older generation of conservative Republicans who, like Godwin, switched from the Democratic Party in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
At the luncheon, several speakers accused Warner of betraying his party by refusing to support all GOP candidates, including Oliver North for the U.S. Senate in 1994.
But an unscheduled speaker - called on by an organizer to say a few words - topped them all with claims of an even more sinister betrayal. Retired Air Force Gen. Ben Partin told the gathering that the federal government was misleading people by claiming last year's bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City was the work of a couple of anti-government extremists.
"There is a lot of people involved in the cover-up," said Partin, who received a round of applause.
Afterward, Partin told reporters he had evidence of an elaborate conspiracy in which unnamed federal officials allowed foreign terrorists to bomb the building - and kill 168 people - to gain support for federalizing law enforcement.
"They wanted to give federal police the same power that the Gestapo and KBG had," Partin said.
Later, Miller disassociated himself from Partin.
"It sounds rather far-fetched," Miller said.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB