DATE: Thursday, October 2, 1997             TAG: 9710020557

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   71 lines

ROBERTSON BECOMES FOCUS IN 2 STATEWIDE CAMPAIGNS

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson became the focus of two campaigns for statewide office on Wednesday.

In the gubernatorial race, Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr. launched a television commercial accusing Republican James S. Gilmore III of being a Robertson pawn, especially on public education issues.

And in the race for attorney general, Democrat William D. Dolan criticized Republican Mark L. Earley for a failed attempt in 1994 to seek tax-exempt status for a retirement community Robertson plans to build in Virginia Beach.

Democrats said it is important to question Robertson's ties to the Republican candidates, noting that the controversial religious leader this year has donated $50,000 to Gilmore and $35,000 to Earley.

Republicans countered that the charges are merely the latest in an annual effort by Democrats to unfairly label GOP candidates as neo-conservatives who would allow religious principles to dictate social policies.

``It's a last desperate attempt that never seems to work for the Democrats,'' Gilmore said.

Mark Rozell, a political scientist at American University who specializes in the religious right, agreed that the efforts to link Republicans to Robertson often have been unsuccessful in Virginia.

``Voters make a clear distinction between candidates who come from the Christian right and those who just happen to be supported by the Christian right,'' he said.

Rozell said Beyer will have a tough sale, because Gilmore has advanced his career by focusing on his law-and-order skills as a former prosecutor and has rarely discussed his religious beliefs.

``The mere fact that Pat Robertson happened to write checks to Jim Gilmore isn't going to convince voters that Pat Robertson will run the state if Jim Gilmore is elected,'' Rozell said.

The 30-second television ad features black-and-white photos of Gilmore and Robertson. Lumping in another $50,000 contribution Gilmore received from Robertson in his 1993 race for attorney general, it notes that the Republican has received $100,000 from the Virginia Beach broadcaster.

``This time Pat Robertson says it's going to be different,'' the announcer says. ``This time he's holding Jim Gilmore's feet to the fire.

``Pat Robertson has given Jim Gilmore $100,000. Now Jim Gilmore is pushing Pat Robertson's education agenda.

``Gilmore and Robertson want to take money out of Virginia's public schools and put it into private and religious schools. . . . The Gilmore-Robertson plan threatens public education. Don't let it happen.''

Gilmore said the ad is ``false.'' Although he said vouchers for private schools are worth considering, he added that he will not advance such a plan if elected governor. Gilmore said, however, that he might sign a vouchers bill if the legislature could create such a system without taking money away from public schools.

Page Boinest, a spokeswoman for Beyer, said Gilmore's explanation cannot be trusted. She pointed to several seemingly contradictory recent statements by Gilmore over whether he would seek a law requiring parental consent before minors could have abortions.

She said Robertson's activities should be of particular concern to voters in light of a speech by Robertson last month in Atlanta, in which he pledged to hold Republican candidates' ``feet to the fire.''

``In the final month of the campaign, it's time to draw clear definitions of the candidates,'' Boinest said.

``It's important to ask whether Gilmore's acceptance of money from Pat Robertson influences his positions. It's interesting that they would talk about scare tactics when what's really scary is their agenda.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Democrats said it is important to question Pat Robertson's ties to

GOP candidates for governor and attorney general. KEYWORDS: CHRISTIAN COALITION VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

ELECTION

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu