THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996 TAG: 9610260234
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SERIES: DECISION 96
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 60 lines
Albemarle Republicans reached warp-speed enthusiasm when Sen. Jesse Helms rolled into Waterfront Park Friday aboard a huge campaign bus that looked like it was designed and driven by Darth Vader.
The four-term North Carolina senator hardly mentioned Harvey Gantt, the African-American architect from Charlotte who for a second time is running against the white conservative.
Gantt is scheduled to campaign in Elizabeth City today and attend a football game at Elizabeth City State University.
But Friday, the partisan crowd of about 150 responded with cheers and applause when Helms urged a return to prayer and higher moral values ``to save this country.''
``Our nation has never faced more difficult times,'' he said.
Helms rumbled to the waterfront in the ship-sized, black-and-battleship-gray vehicle that is leading Helms' pre-election cavalcade from the mountains to the coast.
``We rented the bus from an outfit that has been making it available to stock car drivers who compete on North Carolina tracks,'' said Steve Phillips, Helms' legislative director in Washington.
``The bus has a lot of amenities, including telephones and office equipment,'' he said.
Helms' second campaign against Gantt closely skirts the race issue but has not so far involved the occasional bitterness that marked their earlier contest.
Nor has this Helms campaign spent the money that in the past has made Helms almost unbeatable.
There is no visible participation this year by the National Congressional Club, which raised nearly $15 million for Helms in 1984 to beat Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. That race is still remembered as the dirtiest and costliest U.S. Senate race ever.
Fighting over such details was bemoaned by Helms at the Waterfront Park rally. He won repeated applause when he urged political leaders to stop bickering and return to prayer - ``the source of our blessings.''
Helms said, ``We are about to lose our republic to politicians who no longer get out and pray.''
The senator reminded the 150 supporters that ``Our founding fathers'' had quarreled for many days in Philadelphia before they succeeded in launching the American republic.
``They didn't succeed until Benjamin Franklin told them to get on their knees and pray for guidance.
``They did - and three days later the United States was born,'' Helms said.
The crowd, mostly middle-aged and white, included GOP leaders from nearly every Northeastern North Carolina county. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
DREW C. WILSON
The Virginian-Pilot
Sen. Jesse Helms, above, chides media reporters. At left, Helms
says, ``We are about to lose our republic to politicians who no
longer get out and pray.''
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE NORTH CAROLINA 1996 CANDIDATES by CNB