THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 6, 1994 TAG: 9409060030
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE AND DWAYNE YANCEY, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
Odds and ends from the past week of Virginia's U.S. Senate campaign:
I'll swap you two Doug Wilders for a Tai Collins.
The colorful U.S. Senate race has spawned a set of trading cards featuring the four candidates and a host of supporting characters - including the former Miss Virginia who gave a nude massage to Chuck Robb in a New York hotel.
There's U.S. Sen. John Warner sounding defensive about his hand-picked candidate, Marshall Coleman: ``Why should I strain to name an office he hasn't sought, or an abortion stance he hasn't taken? The point is: Marshall isn't Ollie.''
There's conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh assessing the race: ``The choice in Virginia is simple. You've got a stained, lap-dog liberal, a bleached and petulant liberal, a fair-weather conservative, and a genuine, world-class hero.''
There's political pundit Larry Sabato reporting on the latest poll results: ``Fifty-one percent said the race is so embarrassing they plan to leave the state.''
The ``Campaign Inkbites'' are the brainchild of F.T. Rea, a Richmond artist who a decade ago issued a similar deck of cards commemorating a massive death-row escape at Mecklenberg Correctional Center. The set of 15 Senate cards is available at Biff's bookstore in Richmond for $12 a pack, or by calling Rea at (804) 359-4864.
The most unflattering likeness in the set is that of Sabato, whose green skin gives him the look of a vampire.
``Ironically, he's my best customer,'' Rea said of Sabato. ``He bought 12 packs.''
It may be that the vestiges of Oliver North's well-funded Contra army now roam the jungles of Nicaragua with little to show for those heady days. But North's exploits in Central America haven't been totally forgotten in the torrid zone. They have now been memorialized in - of all things - a recently released surfing film, ``The Endless Summer II.''
Filmmaker Bruce Brown took his two star surfers, Californians Robert ``Wingnut'' Weaver and Pat O'Connell, to Costa Rica for one sequence. Brown and his surfing duo take a boat to a remote beach to surf a spot where the waves pound ashore in perfect, windblown tubes. The surf spot, Brown narrates, has become known as ``Ollie's Point'' because of its proximity to a clandestine airstrip from which Contra supply flights originated. Brown jokes that everyone - particularly surfers - seemed to know about the airstrip; everyone, that is, ``except Congress.''
The four Senate candidates will take part in a televised debate tonight - so far, the only one scheduled. (The College of William and Mary has invited the contenders to a debate on Oct. 5, but it's not firm yet). Tonight's debate, which will take place at Hampden-Sydney College, will run from 8 to 9:30 p.m. In Hampton Roads, the event will be carried live on C-Span. It will feature a moderator - CNN anchor Judy Woodruff - but no panel of pesky journalists. Instead, the candidates will go at each other, mano-a-mano. Or should that be mano-a-mano-a-mano-a-mano?
North, in his quest to portray himself as the candidate who represents ``traditional values,'' has sought out some unusual campaign backdrops this summer. First, he was seen fishing on Smith Mountain Lake and shooting sporting clays at a hunting lodge near Altavista. Next, he dropped in on a Harley-Davidson rally in Orange County.
The other night, North found another unique venue - he stopped by a ``cruise-in'' of vintage 1950s automobiles at Wright's Dairy Bar in Staunton. Country music fans may recognize Wright's from one of the Statler Brothers' album covers. They're regulars at the joint.
So is North, these days. Aides say that whenever the candidate is passing through the Shenandoah Valley, he insists they detour by Wright's so he can slurp down a chocolate malt.
Usually, candidates send out letters asking for money. Lately, North has taken to mailing out money in his fund-raising letters - specifically, two shiny pennies.
``Dear Friend,'' North writes, ``You're probably wondering why I glued two pennies on this letter.'' The reason, North says, is he wants to know what's on voters' minds. ``Since I want you to give me your own `two cents,' I thought I would give you mine first.''
Of course, the ``help'' North really wants is financial. He invites his correspondents to donate anywhere from $10 to $1,000 to his campaign. North mailed out 100,000 such letters - that's about $2,000 worth of pennies. It's a good attention-getter, says North spokesman Dan McLagan, who assures supporters that North gets back far more money than he sends out.
The Cook Political Report - Washington's equivalent of a tip sheet at the racetrack - officially rates Virginia's Senate race as a ``toss-up.'' Robb, meanwhile, is already putting out the word that he expects the next round of public opinion polls will show him behind North. That's because North has been advertising on television and he hasn't, Robb says. MEMO: Staff writer Edward Power contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Drawings
``Campaign Inkbites'' trading cards are the brainchild of Richmond
artist F.T. Rea. A pack of 15 sells for $12.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE CANDIDATE POLL by CNB