THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 9, 1994 TAG: 9406090523
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DALE EISMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940609 LENGTH: WASHINGTON
``I told him that, notwithstanding our friendship, I could not offer him any encouragement or support,'' Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole of Kansas said after a meeting with Coleman.
{REST} Dole's terse written statement - the usually loquacious senator ducked reporters who waited to question him after a luncheon with other GOP lawmakers - said he will meet ``soon'' with Republican nominee Oliver L. North.
But Dole stopped short of promising to support the controversial former Iran-Contra defendant, as most other senior Republicans have pledged to do in the wake of his nomination Saturday in Richmond. Dole's agreement to even meet with Coleman apparently rankled some other GOP senators.
For his part, North took Dole's comments as a sign the minority leader will be with him in fall. In a written statement, his campaign said reporters had ``blown out of proportion'' Dole's observation on Sunday that North will have difficulty uniting Republicans.
``Sen. Dole's statement today should make clear to the media what this campaign has been confident in all along, that Sen. Dole's support for (North) was never in doubt.''
Coleman described his private session with Dole as a ``courtesy call'' and declined to provide specifics. He appeared undeterred by Dole's refusal to embrace his prospective independent candidacy, describing himself as ``generally encouraged today about the prospects of running.''
He added, ``I've got a lot of thinking and talking to do.''
In campaigning as an independent, Coleman would break with a party that twice nominated him for governor. In his only successful statewide race, Coleman was elected state attorney general in 1977 as a Republican and was the first Republican ever to hold that office.
``Sen. Dole knows. . . I subscribe to the principles of the Republican Party,'' Coleman insisted. ``And if I were to decide to run, that my first vote would be to organize the Senate along Republican lines.''
Before and after his visit with Dole, Coleman met with U.S. Sen. John W. Warner, whose emergence as his chief patron has outraged conservative GOP activists in Virginia and at least irked some of Warner's Republican colleagues in the Senate.
Warner argues that North, whose conviction of obstructing Congress in connection with the Iran-Contra scandal was overturned on appeal, is unfit for office.
Warner told reporters that, in private, many other senators endorse his attacks on North. He said he is not surprised that none have joined him in openly encouraging Coleman, however, suggesting that any who did would have to deal with reprisals from North's supporters nationwide.
``Put yourself in their place,'' Warner said. ``They've got races back in their states. . . Oliver North is organized in all 50 states. I mean, this is almost a frightening aspect. The money machine alone is just awesome.''
Warner and Coleman said they were enouraged by a Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research poll released Tuesday that showed Coleman running a close second to incumbent Democrat Charles S. Robb in a prospective four-way contest that would include North and former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder.
Wilder, a Democrat, and Coleman have gathered enough signatures to put their names on the ballot as independents; they have until Tuesday, the date of the state Democratic primary, to file.
Other results released Wednesday by Mason-Dixon indicate that while Warner's alliance with Coleman may be hurting him among activist Republicans, it's a big plus with the electorate generally.
The survey taken Sunday and Monday indicated that Warner is the state's most popular politician, with 68 percent rating his performance in the Senate as ``good'' or ``excellent.''
A third of the voters said Warner's activity on behalf of Coleman makes them ``more likely'' to support Warner in his race for re-election in 1996. That was more than twice as many as said they're less likely to back Warner because he's helping Coleman.
Warner's support also helps Coleman, the survey indicated. Twenty-eight percent of the voters said they're more likely to support Coleman because of Warner's involvement; only 12 percent said they're less likely.
The survey, which involved interviews with 824 registered voters, had a statistical margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
As the survey results were released, Warner launched a new attack on North's veracity.
``He has made it his principal campaign plank to literally trash the Congress of the United States by day and then, by night, he calls and pleads for the support of individual members,'' Warner charged. ``What does that say about the man's integrity?''
Warner also underscored his feelings by refusing to rule out support for Robb or Wilder should Coleman decide not to run.
``Let's take each step at a time,'' he said. ``I want a Republican to serve with me in the United States Senate. I'll be untiring in my efforts to try and get someone. I have no reason to believe at this point in time that Marshall Coleman would not run.''
{KEYWORDS} U.S. SENATE RACE ELECTION
by CNB