THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 30, 1994 TAG: 9406300531
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Guy Friddell
DATELINE: 940630 LENGTH: Medium
In shirt sleeves, Oliver North posed as an outsider despite having been the inside man in the skunk works who ran the sloppy Iran-Contra scam.
{REST} When North, ignoring a ban on props, started to flash a campaign brochure, a la Perot, former Gov. Douglas Wilder knocked it away.
CNN host Larry King stopped North from reciting his 800 telephone number, but irrepressible Wilder, saying he lacked the millions of North and Robb, thrice worked in his own number.
``If you were not running, which other candidate would you vote for?'' a caller asked them.
Robb said he would ``honor Democratic tradition'' and vote for Wilder. Despite Wilder's choice to run as an independent, ``I assume he would return to the fold.''
Wilder said he'd vote for that person who would best represent Virginia and its values.
``Who would that be?'' King asked.
``I'd vote for myself,'' Wilder said - then fled to the secret ballot.
Following Wilder, J. Marshall Coleman said, ``I have no idea what I'd do if I were not running.''
``Can't get a straight answer, can you?'' North crowed to King. Then he folded: ``I'd vote for Jim Miller, because if I wasn't running, Jim Miller would be the Republican nominee.''
``But he's not here. Which of the three?'' King persisted.
``None of 'em,'' North mumbled.
Alluding to allegations of Robb's marital indiscretions, King asked him about the character issue.
Robb said he had acknowledged he wasn't perfect, ``and if perfection is absolutely required, I doubt that any of us would be here with you.'' Admitting to a ``couple of dents'' in his armor, Robb said, ``Fortunately, I have a very forgiving and understanding wife. . . . I had been forgiven by the Almighty, and I thought it was time to move on, . . . to talk about things that actually make a difference in the individual voters' lives.''
Asked by King if he had ``flip-flopped on abortion,'' Coleman said he hadn't changed personal opposition to it; but he is now convinced the problem must be solved by families, institutions and communities, not by the government.
``As a U.S. senator I will not vote to outlaw abortion, nor will I vote to subsidize it,'' Coleman said.
When North said he was the only one who had not spent ``his entire adult life running for office,'' Robb snapped he had put in almost 10 years of active duty in the Marines; Wilder noted he managed his law firm; Coleman, a lawyer, explained to North the part-time nature of service in the General Assembly.
``How far does your adult life go back?'' North asked.
``I'm the oldest person here, and I think it goes back farther than yours,'' Wilder reprimanded.
Under attacks for supporting Bill Clinton, Robb observed he had also been among the top 10 Democrats who backed George Bush. He praised Clinton for taking on difficult challenges facing the nation.
North urged them to accept his bid for Lincoln-Douglas style debates, his ruse to escape facing a panel of reporters. They might peer into his career in the skunk works.
{KEYWORDS} U.S. SENATE RACE CANDIDATE
by CNB