THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608290415
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: 46 lines
The Regent University dean was part of a ``truth'' squad set up to counter Democratic speech-making with Republican views.
In Republican company, she's a party climber. But in Chicago Wednesday, Virginian Kay Coles James was a party crasher.
The Regent University dean joined a small group of Republican spoilers gathering under a banner that read ``Chicago Bull'' to denounce the Clinton administration and ``expose the truth'' behind the Democratic speech-making.
At the request of the Republican National Committee, James flew to Chicago on Wednesday to participate in the GOP's daily rebuttal to proceedings at the Democratic National Convention. Republican Party Chairman Haley Barbour also participated.
James, a former deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control policy, criticized the president for his youthful experimentation with marijuana.
And she offered this criticism of first lady Hillary Clinton's remarks Tuesday night: ``I think it's a moot point when you talk about it taking a village to raise a child when that village has been decimated by public policy. These are children of parents, and those parents need the means and the support to be able to raise their children and care for them.''
The Republicans have set up a small headquarters in a hotel outside downtown Chicago and hold regular ``truth squad'' briefings for the media. James, a former Virginia Health and Human Services secretary and secretary of the GOP convention in San Diego two weeks ago, stayed in the city only long enough for the event.
She had no plans to actually crash the gates of the United Center and appear on the convention floor, as some top Democrats did at the GOP's gathering. Considering the presidential security, few people can get tickets anyway. After half an hour with Barbour before 11 television cameras and about 50 reporters, James left for home.
``The RNC asked me to come, and I was happy to do it,'' she said. ``I think it would be very boring if you only had one side to hear, if you only had one perspective.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Regent University dean Kay Coles James was part of a ``truth'' squad
set up to counter Democratic speech-making with Republican views.
KEYWORDS: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION 1996 CHICAGO by CNB