The Telegraph Alexander and Buchanan gang up on chief rivals By KEVIN LANDRIGAN, Telegraph Staff, 01/09/96
Republican presidential candidates Lamar Alexander and Patrick Buchanan ganged up on their two chief rivals Monday, who thanks to the Blizzard of '96 were unable to defend themselves in the first-primary state. In separate appearances, Alexander and Buchanan said for different reasons that Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., and fellow U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, weren't up to the task needed to beat an increasingly popular President Clinton. Alexander toured the Bedford Public Library and used a football metaphor to describe Dole as an aging political star who won't be able to score the winning touchdown in 1996. "I didn't notice a single coach who wanted to win a game send someone in to play in the last quarter just because it was his turn. They sent someone in who they thought could win the game", he said. Alexander suggested Gramm's tough stance on reforming welfare was too harsh and did not appeal to the best instincts of the American people. "I just don't believe the message of the next president is going to be throwing people out of the wagon", Alexander said, referring to Gramm's stump speech about welfare cheats. Buchanan campaigned throughout the Lakes Region and said during a Manchester radio talk show that Gramm and Dole sold out the American worker by backing bad free trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement. Only a GOP nominee fighting for the middle-class and appealing to conservative Democrats will be able to beat Clinton, Buchanan warned. "I think Phil Gramm and Bob Dole owe the people of New Hampshire and this country an apology. If NAFTA were up for a vote today, we would defeat it hands down", Buchanan said. The fierce coastal storm kept both Dole and Gramm stranded in the nation's capital and scuttled their New Hampshire campaign schedules for a second day. Dole called into a Salem Chamber of Commerce meeting this morning and had to cancel a Rotary Club luncheon in Derry. Gramm had a briefing with reporters by telephone and missed an itinerary that had included a town meeting Monday night in Hudson. Gramm defended his welfare plan as tough love and said Alexander hasn't offered specifics on welfare and other critical issues. "I think people want to know what your program is, and I think that is the big difference between me and Lamar", Gramm said. The third snowed-in candidate, Steve Forbes, emerged in second place in a national poll by Gallup done for USA Today, but Gramm insisted the millions spent on advertising by Forbes won't show up in the ballot box. "I don't see that converting into votes. I see no support on the ground for Steve Forbes", Gramm said. Dole was first in the poll with 49 percent. Forbes at 11 percent and Gramm at 10 percent were within the poll's margin of error for second place. Both Alexander and Buchanan had to defend their own views on the campaign hustings. During Buchanan's appearance on WGIR's Dan Pierce program, several callers were critical of the candidate's call for stiff tariffs and product quotas to protect American job loss overseas. A caller named "Richard" from Manchester said he's got no choice but to invest outside the country. "It would cost me $4 million to produce a software product here, while a company in India is offering to do it for $1.5 million. Guess which one I'm going to do?" he asked Buchanan. The candidate refused to apologize for his protectionist trade agenda. "What is the purpose of the American economy? The idea was for American workers to have the highest standard of living in the world, and I'm committed to that", Buchanan said. Alexander appeared to backpedal one day after he came under some criticism from the anti-deficit Concord Coalition membership for refusing to answer specific questions. "What they wanted me to do is ... to give them my formula for saving Social Security. I said no, that's a specific answer to a specific question. If you were in a debating society you might do that, but if you were president and you wanted to then have a chance to change Social Security in this country ... and ask them to trust you to do that", Alexander said. "If you want to talk about welfare, education, roads, the environment, I would be glad to talk about all of those in all kinds of specifics." Alexander admitted his tough talk about Dole's ability to beat Clinton is a subject many Republicans are uncomfortable talking about. "I think I'm saying is what most Republicans are thinking, and what I want to urge Republicans to do is to say to Senator Dole, 'You are not the right person to be in that debate (with Clinton). You are where you belong, you should stay t here',..." Alexander said. "I'm suggesting a choice between Senator Dole and me would be a good choice. He's from one generation, I'm of another. He's from Washington, I'm mostly from outside Washington. He's been a chief legislator, I've been a chief executive." Alexander insisted with six weeks to primary day there was enough time for him to catch Dole and repeated the prediction that a second-place finish would be acceptable as well. "I think the New Hampshire primary will select out a couple of candidates who are going to compete to be the first president of the next century, and I am to be one of them", Alexander said. On other issues, Buchanan blasted the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether The Citadel should continue to be an all-male military bastion. "The Supreme Court is now virtually dictating social policy, education policy, tax policy ... in violation of the terms of the Republic", Buchanan said. "I think we need a president who will stand up to the Supreme Court." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Telegraph The daily newspaper of Nashua and P.O. Box 1008 southern New Hampshire since 1869 Nashua, NH 03061 voice: (603) 882-2741 fax: (603) 882-2681