GOP Candidates in N.H. All Claim the Most-Right Stuff

Republican presidential candidates used Independence Day celebrations Tuesday to proclaim their conservative credentials in New Hampshire, the state that will hold the first primary of the 1996 race.

Five of the nine major GOP candidates spoke at a picnic attended by over 500 political activists, avoiding direct jabs at each other. But each positioned himself as the most conservative in the race.

The candidates stressed pledges for lower taxes and a balanced federal budget, with Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas vowing not to seek a second term if he fails to balance the budget in his first term.

Polls show Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas running far ahead of his primary opponents in New Hampshire, which is scheduled to hold its primary on Feb. 20. At the picnic, Dole politely joked about his rivals.

“We’ve got a lot of good candidates. They’re all friends of mine, and . . . I hope we find a place for them in the Dole Administration,” he quipped.

Gramm has stepped up his attacks on Dole but took only an indirect swipe Tuesday, urging the activists not to support candidates who “negotiate with Democrats.”

The gathering of the New Hampshire Conservative Political Victory Fund also attracted columnist Patrick J. Buchanan, Rep. Robert K. Dornan of Garden Grove and radio show host Alan Keyes.

Dornan, whose firebrand speeches have made him one of the most controversial members of Congress, used his appearance to launch a personal attack on Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

“Tom Harkin is a Marxist creep,” said Dornan, who accused Harkin of blocking his effort to spend Independence Day in Vietnam. Dornan also called for the excommunication of Roman Catholics who support abortion.