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Rockefeller challenger going it alone(FReeper)Jay Wolfe fighting for seat without support from Party
The Charleston Daily Mail ^ | 10-15-02 | Mike Connolly

Posted on 10/15/2002 2:15:07 PM PDT by EternalVigilance

Mike Connolly Daily Mail Staff

Tuesday October 15, 2002; 11:00 AM

Not even the Republican Senatorial Committee thinks Jay Wolfe can unseat incumbent Democrat Jay Rockefeller in the West Virginia Senate race.

The committee can give Wolfe, 47, up to $202,000 to help his campaign. So far, they haven't given him a dime and the election is only three weeks away.

But Wolfe isn't complaining too much. He knows he is a long shot to beat Rockefeller.

"I guess I understand it," Wolfe said about the committee. "When I got into it, I didn't ask them if I should. I really didn't expect them to help me much."

So the Wolf Summit resident will try to beat an incumbent three-term senator from one of the wealthiest families in America with $100,000 and almost no name recognition.

But Wolfe is confident. He's challenged some tough politicians before and even won once.

With no money from the state Republican committee, Wolfe beat 14-year Legislature veteran Gino Colombo in 1986 to win a seat in the state Senate.

Two years later he ran against Sen. Robert Byrd for a seat in the U.S. Senate and lost by a considerable margin.

"Most people don't even remember that I ran," Wolfe said, but he also reminded the Daily Mail's editorial board Monday that he got 35 percent of the vote against Byrd -- which is better than most people can do against West Virginia's senior senator.

This year, even as his own party dismisses him as running a lost cause, Wolfe is confident he can win. Wolfe says that Rockefeller's assumed easy victory is the exact reason he will pull off an upset. He is concentrating his efforts on getting state Republicans out to vote.

He hopes that Democrats, certain of a Rockefeller victory, will stay home Nov. 5.

"The conventional wisdom says Rockefeller will win," he said. "I don't think he is nearly as well loved as Robert Byrd is. I think he is vulnerable."

A key plank in Wolfe's plan is pointing out how different he is than Rockefeller. He calls Rockefeller "a typical tax-and-spend liberal." Wolfe, a Baptist deacon at Clarksburg Baptist Church, is a fiscal and social conservative.

"Government needs to do as much as possible to get out of people's lives," Wolfe said.

He is staunchly pro-life, opposes the "radical homosexual agenda" and wants to take funding away from museums and theater groups that produce "pornography."

"I believe there is a war in this country right now over morals," Wolfe said.

When it comes to taxes, Wolfe has a plan to radically revamp the federal tax system.

If Wolfe were elected, he would work to abolish all federal income taxes including Social Security and Medicare deductions. To replace the tax base, he would create a national retail sales tax somewhere between 20 percent and 30 percent. Wolfe claims his plan would be revenue neutral and would stimulate the American economy.

"It would help our industrial base," Wolfe said. "We could become again the industrial giant that we used to be."

Wolfe also supports President Bush's plan for a war in Iraq, has the backing of the NRA when it comes to gun control and wants to cut taxes.

He is very clear about what he wants to do. Now all he has to do is pull off a seemingly impossible upset. But recent history seems to favor a Republican underdog in West Virginia.

"Nobody gave Bush a chance to win in this state in 2000 either," Wolfe said with a smile.

Writer Mike Connolly can be reached at 348-4806


TOPICS: West Virginia; Campaign News; U.S. Senate
KEYWORDS: taxreform
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To: RFP
GO JAY WOLFE!!
101 posted on 10/15/2002 9:00:39 PM PDT by mafree
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To: EternalVigilance
Jay started out in VISTA in southern WV. Of couse spent his nights in the Danial Boone hotel in Charleston WV. He was elected to the legislature for 1 or 2 terms before he changed parties and ran for SOS.

By the way I have signed up 23 new voters this week.

HLL Go to your photo ops and stay out of WV politics!

102 posted on 10/15/2002 9:13:47 PM PDT by folklore
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To: folklore
Dagnamit...I knew I forgot someone important!

By the way I have signed up 23 new voters this week.

Way to go!!

Everyone needs to remember that tomorrow is the registration deadline...I understand most of the Courthouses are staying open a few extra hours to accomodate people who want to register.

Keep up the good work, my friend. It's efforts like yours that could provide the winning margin.

103 posted on 10/15/2002 9:22:07 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: WFTR
How is Van H campaign for governor doing? I was wondering about him the other nite, glad you had a link to his site.
104 posted on 10/15/2002 9:28:00 PM PDT by calawah98
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To: folklore
In the last week. I signed up 23 in the last week. Tomarrow I will do better. Memo to self: stand in front of DMV and troll. Hint hint.
105 posted on 10/15/2002 9:29:51 PM PDT by folklore
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To: EternalVigilance
Good luck over there!
106 posted on 10/15/2002 9:32:14 PM PDT by #3Fan
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To: folklore
*grin*

Can we clone you? ;-)
107 posted on 10/15/2002 9:34:48 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: #3Fan
Thanks!
108 posted on 10/15/2002 9:35:11 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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Comment #109 Removed by Moderator

To: EternalVigilance
You would be surprised the stressed people you can get at the DMV. And they are captives.(yes, I know, you do not start with a prep.)
110 posted on 10/15/2002 9:43:05 PM PDT by folklore
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To: William Creel
Is that Winthrop's wife or daughter? He is Jay's brother.
111 posted on 10/15/2002 9:48:01 PM PDT by folklore
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To: folklore
That would be J's brother.
112 posted on 10/15/2002 9:50:59 PM PDT by folklore
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To: folklore
Win Paul Rockefeller, the current Lt Gov of Arkansas, is the son of Winthrop, Sr., the late fmr. Gov. of AR, who was the brother of Nelson (the VP). Jay is the nephew of Winthrop, Sr. and Nelson and the 1st cousin of Win Paul.
113 posted on 10/16/2002 2:35:35 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj
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To: EternalVigilance
I don't have any money, but I have something better. I will pray for a WIN FOR WOLFE!

114 posted on 10/16/2002 2:53:29 AM PDT by JudyB1938
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To: RFP
BTTT!!!!!!
115 posted on 10/16/2002 3:08:34 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: Carry_Okie
Rove and crew have screwed every single conservative candidate I can think of: Smith (NH), Salmon (AZ), Simon (CA), and Schundler (NJ). Wolfe just adds another notch on the gun.

I live in Texas, and under the state GOP leadership, the RiNO's consistently have dry-gulched conservatives with business-lobby money in the primaries -- even incumbent conservatives -- in order to bring "better representation" to the state legislature and school board. They did it again last spring, backing state legislator Kyle Janek, an atrocious warmed-over power Democrat who actually votes with Democrats on leadership in the Lege.

116 posted on 10/16/2002 3:55:05 AM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: EternalVigilance
Mr Wolfe should take a look at this....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/710795/posts?page=2
117 posted on 10/16/2002 4:06:33 AM PDT by WhiteGuy
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To: wildandcrazyrussian
The rnc won't support anyone they cannot CONTROL.

It appears that Mr. Wolfe is an independent thinker.

He says what he means and means what he says.

This is NOT the model for the next generation of gop "leadership"
118 posted on 10/16/2002 4:09:45 AM PDT by WhiteGuy
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To: lentulusgracchus
I'm going to need to start collecting these into a database, there are so many. The Bushbots had better wake up.
119 posted on 10/16/2002 6:35:14 AM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: WhiteGuy
The rnc won't support anyone they cannot CONTROL.

True.

120 posted on 10/16/2002 6:36:11 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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