Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 20:17:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Buchanan in Nashua By JEFFREY MERRITT Telegraph Staff
NASHUA Fresh from a rousing reception at the Christian Coalition's annual conference in Washington, Republican presidential hopeful Patrick Buchanan turned his attention to New Hampshire on Sunday at the start of a three-day swing through the state. Buchanan fielded questions for more than 30 minutes from an audience of 50 inside the clubhouse at the Coburn Woods condominium complex on Sunday afternoon. The crowd was overwhelmingly supportive, cheering Buchanan when he vowed to shut down the federal Department of Education, place term limits on federal judges who are "perverting the Constitution" and protect American workers from Japanese, Chinese and Mexican competition. In an interview with The Telegraph, Buchanan applauded the Merrimack School Board's recent decision to ban from its schools any mention of homosexuality in a positive light. He also said there should be a place in public schools for voluntary prayer, Bible-study and religious instruction. "If parents object to having their children instructed in that or participating in voluntary prayer, they should not be forced to," he said. "I just don't believe in coercion at all, but I do believe in availability." Robert Schedin, a recent arrival in Nashua from North Carolina, was typical of the crowd at Coburn Woods, saying he supported Buchanan because he had the fortitude to take an unpopular stand and stick to it. "I think what Pat Buchanan offers is an opportunity to get back on track, because clearly the people we have traditionally elected have not done the job they should have done for this country," Schedin said. Coburn Woods resident Cynthia Budish grilled Buchanan on the impact of the Christian Coalition's increasingly influential role in American politics. Budish said she felt excluded by the coalition's agenda, but Buchanan defended the right of reli gious conservatives to be a part of the political process. "He's trying to set up a group of people who are going to tell everybody else what to do," Budish said prior to the meeting. "He's setting up the Christians against everybody else. Nobody else is good enough." Buchanan touched on a host of issues at Coburn Woods, including his opposition to sending American troops into Bosnia to try to enforce a potential peace agreement among the warring parties there. "Whoever rules in what particular section of Bosnia is not a vital interest to the United States of America," he said. "And if no vital interest is involved, what are you doing spilling American blood there? If they're not attacking Americans, why are we fighting them?" Buchanan discounted growing speculation about retired Gen. Colin Powell's presidential ambitions, saying Powell's decision to enter the race or stay out would not be "the decisive event in the politics of 1996." "With the endorsement of The Union Leader of Manchester in his pocket since last Thursday, Buchanan insisted the New Hampshire primary will come down to a battle between himself and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. "I think we've got the momentum," Buchanan said. "Bob's got some momentum, but unfortunately it's in the wrong direction." Recalling his controversial discussion of a "culture war" at the 1992 Republican convention in Houston, Buchanan said Dole had adopted the same stance three years later with his attacks on the film industry. "Nowadays, Bob Dole echoes that message in speech after speech, Buchanan said. "I think you'll find all the positions we took which were considered controversial and maybe not mainstream in the Republican Party in those past years are now mainstream and are a part of the agenda of the Republican Party." Buchanan is scheduled to campaign in Manchester and Concord today, then return to Greater Nashua on Tuesday for a couple of radio shows. He is expected to tape a 30-minute radio interview at WNHQ in Milford at 9:20 a.m. and then appear on "The Kevin Miller Show" on WMVU in Nashua at 11 a.m. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Telegraph The daily newspaper for Nashua and P.O. Box 1008 Southern New Hampshire since 1832. Nashua, NH 03061 (603) 882-2741 Newsroom fax: (603) 882-2681 ===========================================================================