Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 3, 1995                   TAG: 9508030028
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: DATELINE                                 LENGTH: Medium

$1.4 MILLION RAISED - BUT NORTH'S NOT RUNNING FOR ANYTHING

Nor has North, now a national radio talk show host, slowed down his appeal for money, though he is not running for anything, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Recently he began another moneymaking venture by pitching a monthly newsletter for $39.95 a year to his considerable national following. As a promotion, he is offering to throw in either of two free gifts: a ``black book'' listing the ``25 most dangerous liberals in Washington'' or a ``spine-tingling videocassette'' of speeches by North and other conservatives.

Though North has raised more than $1 million, he still has some unpaid debts from his race last year as the Republican challenger to Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va. North started out the year owing $526,000 and still owed $375,000 as of June 30, according to Federal Election Commission reporting forms.

The retired Marine, who became a national figure during the Iran-Contra affair, received all of his money this year from individuals, most in small sums, and not a cent from any political action committee.

Instead of paying off the rest of his obligations, North spent most of what he took in, much of it on direct-mail solicitation apparatus he uses to raise money.

Though North is not a candidate, he raised more money this year than fellow Republican Sen. John Warner, who is. The state's senior senator is facing a tough re-election campaign, in part because he endorsed independent Marshall Coleman in the 1994 campaign instead of North.

Warner raised $866,898 in the first six months of this year.

``When someone loses, we usually write them off,'' said Josh Goldstein, research director of the Center for Responsive Politics. ``Obviously, Oliver North isn't going to allow himself to be written off.''

North is determined to remain a player on the national political scene with a contributor mailing list that is ``pure gold,'' Goldstein said. Although he has forsworn running next year, North has suggested that another campaign is in his future.

North was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

The latest FEC campaign report fits a pattern North established last year with his $20 million campaign, the most raised in any U.S. Senate race in the nation's history.

The $1,377,607 North collected during the first half of 1995 is nearly 10 times as much as Robb took in during the same period.

According to his FEC report, Robb received $152,657 through June 30 - nearly half of it from political action committees - and repaid himself half the $200,000 he lent to his campaign. The rest of that loan is his only outstanding debt, according to the forms.

Before retiring the debt, however, Robb will help another 1994 rival retire his own debts. Robb is one of the hosts of a $1,000-a-head fund-raiser tonight in McLean featuring President Clinton on behalf of former Gov. Douglas Wilder. Wilder dropped his independent Senate campaign last year and patched up his differences with Robb in time to help push him to victory.

All parties have denied that Clinton's help was part of a deal to get Wilder's endorsement of Robb, although Republicans have called it a blatant political payoff.

Keywords:
POLITICS