Rockefeller challenger going it alone(FReeper)Jay Wolfe fighting for seat without support from Party

The Charleston Daily Mail ^ | 10-15-02 | Mike Connolly

[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

[EternalVigilance]

Add Bill Salier (IA) to your list. He is/was one of the best young conservative candidates to come up the pike in a long time, and the Senatorial Committee poured hundreds of thousands into the campaign of Greg Ganske to crush him.

Watch what they do, not what they say.

[EternalVigilance]

Wow...Salier...another 'S'.

Maybe someone just has an aversion to that letter. ;-)

[EternalVigilance]

I'm hoping that Jay will get a chance to take a look at this thread tonight.

With his very full schedule, FReeping is not something he's had much, if any, time to do (poor guy! ;-).

But I'm going to ask him to take a little time to drop in after while.

[RFP]

A big WIN!! ...for Wolfe...just like the Win that West Virginia gave to "W" in two thousand, but this time in two thousand two!!

And if you can say that ten times fast, you're either a true blue FReeper or your last name is Seuss!

[Carry_Okie]

Heh, heh, heh...

So! You both walked right into my trap...

It's aliteral conSpiraSy.

I'll go hide now.

[EternalVigilance]

Suess? That begins with an 'S'...what a loser!

;-)

[Tailback]

Amen brother! Here in Oregon the Republicans consistently run weak candidates for state and federal positions that make Bob Dole look exciting. Then they wonder why a state that has voted down a sales tax 9 times in landslides is controlled by Democrats.

[Wissa]

So let me get this straight. I have very limited resources... and you think I should use those limited resources making contributions to Jay Wolfe... instead of to Norm Coleman, who has a legitimate shot at knocking out Wellstone?

[billhilly]

Good for you. No statue, to the best of my knowledge, has ever been erected to a cynic. Your attitude will carry you a long way.

[EternalVigilance]

Watch out brother---that poster has TWO 'S's in their screen name!

;-)

[EternalVigilance]

Certainly not looking for any statues (they just get pooped on anyhow)...but thank you very kindly!!

[VOYAGER]

Please do not ping VOYAGER for or on any topic.

[NCEaglette]

Bump for Jay

[FreedomFriend]

If it says Rockefeller, that means that you need to vote for the other guy. This applies regardless if a Rockefeller is a Republican.

[Taxman]

Bump for a Real American!

[unixfox]

Rock & Roll...

[EternalVigilance]

Sorry to intrude...I know you asked the question of RFP...but I couldn't restrain myself any longer (gonna have to work on the old self-control thingy).

If you have limited resources, or if you have abundant resources, you should give to whomever you want to give to.

Defeating Wellstone, who is a socialist (I'm being kind), is an admirable goal, and IMO very attainable.

But if there are people out there who are looking for a rock-solid conservative--a breed of which there are far too few in the Senate--then supporting Jay Wolfe is also more than worthwhile.

I will say this though...the disparity in resources made available to these various candidates is remarkable. We have certainly made more happen with alot less than any other Senate campaign in the country. Every individual who has contributed to Jay Wolfe has certainly gotten a big bang for their buck.

The grassroots organizing done by this campaign, and the training provided to grassroots activists, is going to be paying big dividends here for years to come, no matter the outcome on November 5.

Lots of states have left the Dem column in the last decade, and I can see the day coming when the Mountain State will do so as well.

Regards,

EV

[sneakypete]

and wants to take funding away from museums and theater groups that produce "pornography."

He really had me going his way until I ran into this little example of insanity. Who would it be that he picks to define what "pornography" is,a deacon?

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

Right. This is just what we need,another "war" to be waged against his fellow Americans.

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks for the bump, my friend!

I take it you saw #21??