ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606060088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
A voter guide released Wednesday by the Christian Coalition is being criticized by Sen. John Warner's campaign as inaccurate and unfair.
"The senator does not have a bone to pick with Christian voters," said Eric Peterson, a spokesman for Warner's campaign. "But it's clear to me that whoever put this guide out has an agenda."
The coalition, founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, plans to distribute 750,000 copies of the guide before Tuesday's Republican senate primary.
Although the tax-exempt coalition is barred by federal law from endorsing candidates, challenger Jim Miller seems to come off much better than Warner on the 10 issues the influential group selected for the guide.
Miller backs the coalition's position on each of the issues. Warner is listed as agreeing with the coalition only twice.
Coalition spokesman Mike Russell said Warner never replied to a questionnaire sent out for the guide. That's why, he said, the senator is listed as giving "no response" on four issues: raising federal income taxes, taxpayer funding of abortions, abolishing the U.S. Department of Education and barring taxpayer funding of "obscene" art.
Peterson said the campaign sent its answer to the questionnaire by fax on May 20.
"That's just not true," Russell said. "My guess is that someone in the campaign is embarrassed the questionnaire fell through the cracks."
The guide says Warner opposes voluntary prayer in schools, a constitutional amendment banning abortion and term limits while favoring condom distribution at public schools without parental consent.
Peterson said Warner favors voluntary prayer in schools and has co-sponsored legislation that would require a super majority in both houses of Congress to raise taxes.
The coalition's guides have become controversial in recent years. To remain tax-exempt, the organization cannot endorse candidates. But critics say it gets around that requirement by choosing issues for the guide and otherwise structuring it to cast its favored candidate in the best light.
Robertson, the founder of the coalition, has made a $1,000 personal contribution to Miller and given nothing to Warner.
The guide seems at variance with the 100 percent rating Warner received from the coalition last year. Russell said the rating was unusually high for Warner and that the senator voted more conservatively than in the past.
Russell said the coalition remains neutral and that the guide is fair. "We pick issues that highlight differences between the candidates," he said. "It would have helped if Warner had filled out his questionnaire."
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB