Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 2, 1993 TAG: 9312020211
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY ROB EURE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
State GOP spokesman Richard Jefferson, who started work under McSweeney last spring, resigned a day after Gov.-elect George Allen demanded McSweeney's resignation and McSweeney declined.
"I feel very strongly that I must be able to publicly support Gov.-elect Allen and you, as party chairman," Jefferson wrote in letter to McSweeney. "Any other approach to party unity would be double-minded, and it would not help achieve the Republican agenda."
After a speech to the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention in Roanoke Wednesday night, Allen said he had asked for McSweeney's resignation because he must have a party chairman that he can "trust and work with." He said he was sorry the matter had become public.
"I think it's important to have one who can support you and who you can count on to support you," Allen said. Allen said he had several ideas for a possible successor to McSweeney but mentioned no one specifically.
Before meeting with the media, Allen huddled in a hotel office for roughly half an hour with U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke. The congressman said he had offered to be "an honest broker" in an effort to help Allen work out his differences with McSweeney.
"They should either work it out or make a change," Goodlatte said.
Goodlatte said Allen did not immediately take him up on his offer but left it open as a later possibility.
Allen and McSweeney did not talk on Wednesday, according to Allen's spokesman, Ken Stroupe.
Also Wednesday, the largest and most powerful group of religious conservatives, television evangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition, abruptly cancelled a news conference called to discuss the dispute.
Allen said he had not talked with Robertson or Ralph Reed, executive director of the coalition, on Wednesday.
"We are not favoring anybody," said Mike Russell, the coalition's spokesman. "We are reacting to the fact that a change has been proposed; and any time that happens, a red flag goes up. We are getting calls from our grass-roots members asking us what the significance of this is, and that's what we are trying to find out."
Russell said Reed would make a statement before Saturday's meeting of the GOP State Central Committee, the party's governing body. That group is expected to consider Allen's request to oust McSweeney.
Some of the nearly 50 Republicans who signed a letter in support of McSweeney on Tuesday said they did not know Allen had requested McSweeney's resignation before the letter was released.
"It puts people like me in a very awkward position," said Pat Mullins, chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Party.
Mullins argues the fight is a losing proposition for both men.
Mullins doubts Allen can muster the 75 percent support from the central committee needed to oust McSweeney. But he said Allen can cripple McSweeney by winning a simple majority in a no-confidence or censure vote on the chairman.
by CNB