THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411030427
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LISE OLSEN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 124 lines
Virginia's U.S. Senate race - a matchup of ideological opposites - has attracted more money from feuding single-issue groups than any other race in the country.
Not since the 1990 North Carolina contest between conservative icon Sen. Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt, an African-American architect, have so many advocacy groups given to candidates in a single Senate race, according to Joshua Goldstein, project director at the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C.
``Oliver North is an ideological lightening rod,'' Goldstein said.
North has broken the national record for campaign contributions from individuals. But Sen. Charles S. Robb has raked in more from political action committees: groups organized by labor, industry and advocates that give big bucks to try to influence politicians.
Robb has 10 times as much PAC money as North, and nearly 100 times as much as independent candidate J. Marshall Coleman. PAC contributions to Robb account for $1.16 million - 25 percent of his total. PAC money is controversial, because interest groups typically target incumbents whose decisions can help them.
Robb has collected more from PACs than most other senators running for re-election this year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. But he has also collected more from individuals than most incumbents. As a result, Robb is less dependent on PAC money than others: 16 of 26 incumbent senators running have a higher percentage of PAC contributions. Nine report less, including two senators who accepted none.
Some incumbents rely on PACs for most of their campaign funds: More than half of West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd's money comes from PACs. And North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad has collected more than 76 percent of his funds from them, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Here's where Robb's PAC money comes from, based on an analysis of the organizations and businesses that have contributed.
Single interest groups. These contributions reveal well-known ideological differences between North and Robb. Arms control, gay rights and women's groups support Robb; anti-abortion, Christian conservative and gun rights groups go for North. But the biggest contributors to Robb are pro-Israel PACs. Those groups have donated about $96,000 to the senator - more than half of all his money from ideological groups.
Pro-Israel PACs are among those leery of North, largely because of his association with conservative Christian groups who often have different views on issues.
Labor unions. Robb has earned more support from labor than other congressional candidates in Virginia. He voted in support of pro-labor positions 82 percent of the time in 1993.
Most PAC money comes from corporate America, including industries such as transportation, defense and communications among others. At least one-fifth of these contributors are federal contractors. Collectively, those businesses earned more than $11.7 billion in government contracts in fiscal 1993. The interests of many of the businesses mirror Robb's assignments to Senate committees.
The communications industry, including every major long-distance telephone carrier, gave Robb $101,600 in the last 10 months. Even before that, Robb ranked among the top recipients of communications PAC money, according to an analysis by Common Cause, a citizens' legislative interest group that works for campaign finance reform.
Telephone and cable companies have good reason to be interested in Robb. Robb belongs to the Senate communications subcommittee, which has led debate over a controversial reform plan. Robb has argued that the industry should be deregulated to promote innovation and improve competition. The outcome of that discussion means millions to the winners.
In the last session of Congress, Robb offered an amendment that would have allowed the Baby Bells - regional telephone companies - to bypass some regulatory barriers and speed their entry into the cable TV business. That change was accepted by his committee, though not by the full Senate. But when the issue comes up again, Robb will have a say in how the reform takes shape - if he's re-elected.
In an interview, Robb agreed that many PACs represent industries and individuals who support his positions. But he noted that those who disagree also are represented. Robb said that he has won support for taking strong views, and being consistent. Robb also contends that most PACs represent ordinary Americans who have banded together to pool their resources.
Pro-Israel groups have been attracted to Robb because of his power and positions. Robb's hefty contributions from pro-Israel groups stand out, because those contributions have dropped nationally, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
North has courted the American Jewish vote. He issued a paper detailing his support for Israel. North also worked closely with Israeli groups in his Iran-Contra days.
But some pro-Israel groups consider North unpredictable. They also are concerned about his association with Christian conservatives who take different positions than ``the mainstream American-Jewish community'' on rights of women, and the separation of church and state, said Douglas Bloomfield, a consultant on government relations and a syndicated columnist on Jewish issues.
``We're a minority that's particularly sensitive to protecting the rights of all minorities. When they take the attitude that this is a `Christian nation,' that worries us an enormous amount,'' said Bloomfield, former legislative director of the powerful American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Pro-Israel groups also have a stake in the committees to which Robb belongs, including Armed Services and Foreign Relations. As a moderate senator and an ex-Marine, Robb has influenced debates such as whether to support missile defense systems that would help Israel shield itself from future SCUD attacks, Bloomfield said.
Proponents of campaign finance reform argue that PACs have too great an influence on Congress because of their huge contributions to incumbents. But Robb himself does not agree. In an interview for this story, Robb said existing limits on PAC contributions and reporting requirements are enough to make candidates accountable. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff graphic
PAC Money
Rob : 25%
North: Less than 1%
Coleman: 4%
[For copy of graphic, please see microfilm]
Staff graphic
Top 10 types of PAC support by candidate
[For copy of complete text of graphic, please see microfilm.]
KEYWORDS: CANDIDATE U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN FINANCING PAC POLITICAL
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