THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 8, 1994 TAG: 9409080495
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Democratic Congressman Martin Lancaster defended his support of the crime bill Wednesday, and said his challenger's charges of ``flip-flopping'' on legislation sounded ``like a frog calling somebody ugly.''
Last week, on a campaign swing through northeastern North Carolina, Walter B. Jones Jr., the Republican candidate for the 3rd District seat, pledged that he would never flip-flop on an issue and blasted the incumbent's support of the crime bill.
Lancaster, in a telephone interview from his Greensboro office, denied that he had changed his position on the bill.
``I did not change my vote,'' Lancaster said. ``I voted against the rule that would have prohibited any amendments to the bill originally, and again when the bill came to us out of the conference committee. What the media fails to understand is that I did not vote against the crime bill itself; I voted against the rule that sets out the procedure for how the bill would be handled. I have consistently supported the bill.''
Lancaster said that the good in the crime legislation far outweighs the bad, and that certain special appropriations in the bill have been removed. However, he expressed concerns about the assault weapons ban and cuts in funding for prevention programs.
``We cannot continue spending money for prisons without spending money for prevention of crime,'' said Lancaster. ``Republicans call prevention programs `pork,' but it's not pork if it keeps young people from committing crime. If Mr. Jones and the Republicans want to continue to spend tax dollars locking away prisoners without spending money for preventing crime, that's irresponsible.''
Lancaster said he opposed the assault weapons ban, and said he unsuccessfully sought to have that portion of the measure voted on separately. The Lancaster campaign has received contributions from the National Rifle Association, the leading opponent of the ban.
However, Lancaster praised provisions which will provide local governments with more police officers, and increase the number of crimes covered by the federal death penalty statute.
``This bill will assist local governments in putting more officers on the streets,'' he said. ``It's also going to provide more money for the Immigration and Naturalization Service so that we will . . . be able to increase border patrols and money available to deport illegal aliens.''
Jones, along with U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, were critical of Lancaster's vote for the bill. However, Lancaster maintained the House version of the bill he supported was similar to a Senate version supported by Helms and the other North Carolina Republican senator, Lauch Faircloth.
``I did not support everything in the bill,'' Lancaster said. ``But I felt the good outweighed the bad. The unnecessary spending that was a part of the original version was taken out by the conference committee. The final bill was significantly improved.''
Lancaster described as ``unbelievable'' Jones' charges that he ``flip-flopped'' on legislation.
Jones, Lancaster said, ``not only changed his political party, but he changed districts. His father, Walter B. Jones Sr., served for 26 years in Congress, and (Jones Jr.) says he is for term limits. He is the darling of the pro-life movement, but when he was in the General Assembly, he consistently voted in favor of state funding for abortions. This is pure political rhetoric.''
Lancaster is to appear today at the Year of the Coast conference in Wilmington, and later at a dinner in Goldsboro. This weekend, the congressman has scheduled stops in Pender County, Rocky Point, Ayden, Greenville and Winterville.
KEYWORDS: CONGRESSIONAL RACE CANDIDATE by CNB