THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9410300069
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEC KLEIN, ROBERT LITTLE AND DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
Oliver L. North - preacher, pugilist and populist - worked more than 1,000 supporters into a fever pitch Saturday at Mt. Trashmore in the biggest rally yet of the U.S. Senate race.
Incumbent Sen. Charles S. Robb worked an even larger gathering in Richmond, though in his case the focus was the annual Gold Bowl football game.
But it was independent candidate J. Marshall Coleman, campaigning to sparse crowds in Northern Virginia, who went for the jugular Saturday.
Calling Robb's Capitol Hill career finished, Coleman proclaimed himself the only thing standing between North and a seat in Congress and pledged to focus most of his remaining attacks on the Republican.
``The voters just won't re-elect'' Robb, Coleman said. ``He's the incumbent senator who has been in office for six years, he's been governor and lieutenant governor, he's spent millions of dollars and he's got a third of the vote in November? No, he can't win.
``I'm the only alternative to Ollie,'' he said. ``It's either Ollie or me.''
Robb said later that he would be glad to have Coleman concentrate on North. ``I'll say that his analysis is flat wrong, but I like his strategy for dealing with it,'' Robb said.
Coleman also blasted North for his response to being called a liar Thursday by former first lady Nancy Reagan. North said he would not ``get into a fight with a lady.''
``That's condescending and evasive,'' Coleman said. ``Half the voters in this state are women, and there are senators in Washington who are women. Would Oliver North treat them the same way?''
North, the Republican nominee, has backtracked in recent weeks after making a series of gaffes. But on Saturday, North turned the tables on Robb for tripping over his own politically incorrect statements.
``Chuck Robb just in this morning's paper out in Bristol had the arrogance to say that peoples' understanding of Social Security is, quote, near zero,'' North said with unabashed relish.
``Now I've got some news for you, Chuck. . . . People really do understand Social Security and they understand that you, Chuck Robb, are the one who went with Bill Clinton on taxing Social Security benefits.''
Robb was quoted in Saturday's edition of the Bristol Herald-Courier as saying that the public's understanding of Social Security is ``near zero. It's the politicos who create that irrational fear - and some organizations do it, too.'' The senator has voted to increase taxes for Social Security recipients earning more than $32,000 a year.
North has been a victim of his own statements on Social Security, a political sacred cow. Last week, he had to back off from his suggestion that future generations have the option of not participating in the system.
The candidate, however, stayed on the offensive Saturday, lambasting Vice President Al Gore for a second straight day. Gore on Friday had called North supporters ``the extra-chromosome right wing,'' a reference to those inflicted with Down syndrome.
Gore immediately issued an apology, but North said, ``The vice president of the United States of America'' - the crowed booed heartily - ``that vice president . . . took an insensitive cheap shot at you, my supporters, and insulted every single American with his cruelty towards those who have mental and physical health problems.''
With each choice comment about Gore, Robb or Clinton, the crowd whooped, exclaimed ``Amen!'' and blew whistles in approval. But on the perimeter, Virginia Beach police kept vocal Robb supporters at bay.
``North is a criminal!'' one Robb supporter shouted. A burly man walked in circles with a sign taped to his chest that read: ``DEFEAT OLIVER NORTH DRUG KINGPIN,'' a reference to allegations that North did not report drug trafficking while supporting Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
North, however, was brash enough to strike back at his hecklers.
``My friends,'' he said, ``we're now down in the final homestretch of a long campaign and let me tell you how good it feels - despite that trash at the bottom of Mt. Trashmore.''
Robb courted African-American voters during a Richmond appearance with former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder at the annual Gold Bowl between football rivals Virginia Union University and Virginia State University.
Wilder, a Virginia Union grad, trolled the crowd like a Big Man On Campus, slapping backs and introducing Robb all around.
``Rex, How ya doing? Hey Roland. There's someone here I want you to meet,'' Wilder said.
Robb stepped forward to shake Roland Holloway's hand.
``If those two can come together like that,'' Holloway said of Robb and Wilder, two longtime rivals, ``he's got my vote.''
U.S. Rep. Robert Scott, D-Newport News, said he could feel things turning Robb's way as the campaign enters it final week.
``I think North peaked too soon, and we have the momentum,'' Scott said. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Saturday's campaign schedule for Virginia's three U.S. Senate
candidates:
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE VIRGINIA CANDIDATES
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