THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605190092
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
After refusing to support key Republican nominees in the past two state elections, U.S. Sen. John W. Warner on Saturday asked angry party activists to support him in the tightly contested June 11 GOP primary.
In Tidewater, Warner received a polite but chilly reception during appearances at Republican congressional district conventions in Williamsburg, Norfolk and Windsor.
But in rural district conventions held near Roanoke and in Southside Virginia, surrogate speakers for Warner were roundly jeered.
At the 6th District convention in Bridgewater, in the Shenandoah Valley, former Del. Arthur R. Giesen had to shout above a cat-calling crowd. ``I know a lot of you are angry as hell with John Warner - perhaps with good reason,'' he said. ``Hear me out.''
And at the 5th District convention in Southside Virginia, a surrogate speaker for Warner, William Meredith of Franklin County, was drowned out by boos and shouts of ``Traitor!'' and ``Betrayal!`` and ``Go home!''
Many activists from the conservative wing of the party have been furious at Warner's refusal to support two recent GOP nominees: Michael P. Farris for lieutenant governor in 1993 and Oliver L. North for U.S. Senate in 1994.
Warner said he was just following his conscience. He said he didn't endorse Farris, a leader of the home-schooling movement and a Christian conservative activist, because he did not know enough about him.
And Warner had concerns about North's honesty during the Iran-Contra affair.
Many activists say Warner should have kept his thoughts to himself. They hold Warner responsible for the defeats of both candidates in general elections, and they are vowing to extract revenge by backing Warner's opponent - former federal budget chief James C. Miller III - in next month's primary.
``I used to be for John Warner,'' said Steven Smith, a businessman from James City. ``But I got tired of being stabbed in the back and slapped in the face. Loyalty is important to me.''
``I wouldn't trust John Warner with my cat,'' said Don Calaman of Martinsville.
Just how big a role the activists will play in the primary is an open question. Many of the angry party insiders are highly motivated to cast ballots for Miller and use their organizational skills to help his campaign. Strategists say they could carry the day for Miller if voter turnout for the primary is light.
Warner is seeking to ensure a heavy primary turnout of 400,000 voters or more by advertising heavily on radio and television. Stressing job creation and economic issues, he has aimed his appeal at independent and moderate voters who may not participate directly in Republican Party affairs.
Warner on Saturday dismissed the suggestion that his party loyalty was anything more than a side issue to a few thousand Republican die-hards. ``There's hundreds of thousands of people outside the core of the state party that would rather talk about creating jobs,'' he said.
In addition to party loyalty, conservatives have criticized Warner for an inconsistent voting record on abortion rights and his 1987 vote against the unsuccessful U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork.
In speeches Saturday, Warner suggested those votes were atypical in an otherwise conservative voting record.
``I've voted more than 7,000 times in the Senate,'' the 18-year incumbent said. ``You bet you can find one or two votes you won't like. But when you put it all together, there's a proven conservative voting record.''
As evidence, Warner cited his high ratings from a number of conservative special-interest groups - including the Chesapeake-based Christian Coalition.
At the 2nd District convention in Norfolk, Warner ran into Miller's wife, who spoke on her husband's behalf. Later, at the 1st District convention in Williamsburg, Warner ran into Miller himself.
``Your wife was good this morning,'' Warner crowed.
``She's always good,'' Miller replied, making his way past Warner.
Warner, at each of the Tidewater stops, spoke about his role as the second ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and his efforts to protect military jobs and ship-building in the region.
Miller made a more direct appeal to the activists. ``John Warner says he's principled, but let me tell you something, his idea of principles is what serves John Warner.
``I don't think it's a principled thing for anyone who is elected to the Senate not to be loyal to the party who put him there,'' Miller added. ``John Warner stabbed this party in the back, and now he expects this party to lift him on its shoulder, and I think that's wrong.''
Among the party activists who said they are dismayed with Warner was religious broadcaster and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson, who attended the 2nd District convention in Norfolk. Although Robertson said he does not plan to play a major role in the campaign, he noted that he has made a $1,000 personal contribution to Miller's campaign and given nothing to Warner.
``Loyalty is a crucial issue,'' Robertson said in a brief interview. ``I don't think John Warner has ever felt comfortable with the conservative wing of the party.'' MEMO: Dwayne Yancey and Richard Foster of The Roanoke Times contributed to
this story.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
In this region, the senator got a chilly reception. Elsewhere in
Virginia, he was roundly booed by betrayed stalwarts who vowed to
support challenger James C. Miller II in next month's primary.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE BIOGRAPHY REPUBLICAN PARTY
VIRGINIA STATE SENATE RACE CANDIDATE by CNB