Campaign Notebook
Friday’s developments:
Presidential race
Lamar Alexander pronounced Arizona “still wide open” as he left the state for two days of campaigning in Texas. Alexander, who finished third in Iowa and New Hampshire, said he had to start winning contests to be considered a serious contender.
Pat Buchanan labeled the abortion industry an “evil empire” - a rhetorical nod to his hero, President Reagan. He also called for the death penalty in particularly brutal rape cases.
Bob Dole continued to castigate Buchanan for “being on the fringe” and having extreme views. Speaking in Wilsonville, Ore., Dole called himself a “mainstream conservative.”
Steve Forbes was the lone Republican candidate stumping in Delaware on the eve of the nation’s second presidential primary. Forbes predicted he would do well in the state because his theme of restoring control and opportunity to the people was taking hold.
News of note
In a state crucial to his re-election prospects, President Clinton on Friday displayed the political power of incumbency. As Long Beach, Calif., aerospace workers whooped and cheered and waved miniature American flags, he announced that he was seeking Congressional approval to buy 80 more C-17 cargo planes, a move the administration said would create 4,700 jobs here.
The Washington Post said Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole, R-Kan., has spent so much money on his quest for the presidency that he is in serious jeopardy of reaching the spending limit for the primary season by early spring, according to campaign finance experts. The limit, about $37 million, is imposed on all primary candidates who accept federal campaign funds.
David Duke, the one-time Ku Klux Klan imperial wizard, is making another run for the U.S. Senate in Lousiana. J. Bennett Johnston, a Democrat who defeated him in 1990, is retiring after four terms. Duke, a Republican who announced his candidacy Thursday, got nearly 44 percent of the vote when he ran against Johnston.
A man with ties to Duke confirmed he has been removed from Buchanan’s campaign. William Carter was state chairman for Duke’s 1992 presidential campaign in South Carolina. Also, The New York Times reported that three of Buchanan’s delegates in Louisiana have ties to Duke.
A poll of 435 likely Republican voters in Arizona showed Dole with 25 percent support, Buchanan 21 percent, Forbes 19 percent and Alexander 11 percent. The poll was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday by Political Media Research.
Upcoming on TV Sunday
Buchanan on CNN’s “Late Edition” 9 a.m. PST.
Buchanan on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Today’s stops
Alexander: Colorado Springs, Colo.; Denver.
Buchanan: Tempe, Ariz.; Payson, Ariz.; Campe Verde, Ariz.; Prescott, Ariz.
Dole: Green Valley, Ariz.; Tucson, Ariz.
Forbes: Washington; Tucson, Ariz.
Dick Lugar: New England.