NEW HAMPSHIRE WEEKLY / POLITICAL DIARY / LAURA A. KIERNAN

Now, from Nashville, Alexander's band

By Laura A. Kiernan, Globe Correspondent, April 11, 1999

Laura Kiernan can be reached by e-mail at Kiernan(at sign)globe.com

It really was a coincidence, says presidential hopeful Lamar Alexander's senior adviser, Tom Rath of Concord. Last week, just two days after longtime media strategist Patrick Griffin of Manchester announced he was leaving the campaign, the Alexander team announced it was moving its "national political division" from Nashville to Manchester. Alexander's political director, Brian Kennedy, a former chairman of the Iowa GOP, and his deputy, Renee Klink, whose forte is grass-roots politics, will be on board here.

Rath says the move had been in the works for a while and reflects the team's belief that the "heart of the campaign" is in the two early states -- first in the Iowa caucuses and then the New Hampshire primary. The conventional wisdom is that there are "tickets" out of Iowa and on to New Hampshire for the top three GOP finishers. Then it comes down to the top two finishers in New Hampshire: They will be seen as having the proven momentum to go on to other state primaries. Alexander placed third in both races in 1996.

As to Griffin, Rath says, "I miss him every day. But those things happen and you have to move on." Griffin did not rule out working for another presidential campaign, and widespread speculation is that eventually he will sign on with Texas Governor George W. Bush. And there were more signs that Bush -- the acknowledged bigfoot in the race -- was finally making his move in New Hampshire. GOP vice chairman Barbara Russell anounced she was with Bush, ending considerable speculation that she would take on Elizabeth Dole's campaign here. And there was growing expectation at mid-week that US Senator Judd Gregg would -- no surprise here -- officially announce he's on the Bush team.

Dole camp focuses on raising funds

As Bush and Alexander made headlines last week, there were those who were looking for visible signs of Elizabeth Dole's New Hampshire campaign. There weren't any to be seen (except for the Dole button that state Representative Fran Wendelboe of New Hampton wears). Interested activists were cooling their heels. Dole campaign spokesman Ari Fleischer in Washington said the campaign is following a "deliberate plan about who we are announcing and when." As of midweek, there were no Dole announcements for New Hampshire. When might they come? "A little down the road," said Fleischer.

The former Cabinet secretary's campaign did announce a 10-city fund-raising tour around the country. New Hampshire is not on the itinerary, as Fleischer noted, because New Hampshire is a place where candidates come to spend money, not raise it. The campaign also had a list of 125 finance committee members who promised to raise $10,000 to $100,000 for Dole. Fleischer said the only New Hampshire name on this "partial list" is L. Dennis Kozlowski, chairman and CEO of Tyco International.

Uscinski takes lead in Buchanan effort

Shelly Uscinski is stepping down as chairman of the New Hampshire Christian Coalition to head up Pat Buchanan's presidential primary campaign in New Hampshire. Talk show host and media personality Buchanan won the GOP primary here in 1996 with just 27 percent of the vote in a badly split field of GOP candidates, including then US senator Bob Dole, Alexander and millionaire publisher Steve Forbes. Uscinski was a Buchanan delegate to the 1996 GOP convention.

"It's really an emotional thing with me," Uscinski told us. "I was offered a lot of money to work on other campaigns . . . Forbes and others. But when you think about who you want as a leader and who we have right now . . . I really think Pat Buchanan is the best man to wipe that slate clean."

That word, income, is very important

Don Rondo is no Walter Cronkite. The host of WMUR's Sunday talk show "The Bottom Line" does too much talking, mostly about what he thinks. But amidst the friendly bluster and blab of his show a week ago, there were some exchanges to listen to with Rondo's guest, Governor Jeanne Shaheen.

At one point, when Rondo, who plays to a conservative audience, was trying to convince Shaheen to lobby for a tax plan he had come up with (and was sure would work), he said to the Democratic governor, "You are a little conservative . . . you're not as liberal . . ."

Shaheen, relaxed and smiling, jumped in "I'm not as liberal as you thought I was, huh, Don?"

Then, a few minutes later, with Rondo still pushing for his solution, the issue of Shaheen's tax "pledge" came up. And once again, exactly what "pledge" Shaheen had taken, and whether she's backpedaling now in the midst of the education funding crisis, became the issue.

"And don't forget you pledged no new taxes," he said.

"No, I pledged no income tax. I didn't say no new taxes," the governor said.

"Well, we could run a tape . . . do you want me to run a tape again so we know what you said?" Rondo asked her.

Shaheen moved on.

Protectors seek primary insurance

The keepers of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary status -- state Representative Jim Splaine, former governor Hugh Gregg and Secretary of State Bill Gardner -- made their pitch to the House Election Law Committee last week for changes they hope will prevent any other state (pesky Delaware, for example) from butting in on New Hampshire's No. 1 status.

Splaine a Portsmouth Democrat, has been the legislative guardian of the primary since 1975. It was his idea that led to the law that says New Hampshire's primary always has to be seven days in advance of any other state. Gardner has an encyclopedic knowledge of every twist and turn in state primary scheduling around the country -- crucial info if you want to make sure no state pulls a fast one and sets a date earlier than New Hampshire's.

Gregg is the historian. His very readable tales from the primaries can be found in the New Hampshire Manual, the bible of election-year data that insiders simply call "the red book." Gregg is also the one who makes the case that in a world where presidential politics are dominated by expensive TV campaigning, New Hampshire's low-cost style of hand-to-hand contact with voters has even more importance as the starting point for the race. And, of course, nobody disputes that the attention that comes with being first is also very good for the state's economy.

So, what's the strategy? Among other things, Splaine wants the law changed so the secretary of state can set the date for the Primary 2000 whenever he wants -- as far back as November 1999 if that's what it takes to hold on to first place. The committee is thinking it over.

Personnel change around Shaheen

There's been some shuffling on Governor Jeanne Shaheen's personal staff. Karen Hicks, who was special assistant for health policy (one of the governor's favorite topics), is now acting director of the Substance Abuse Services Bureau at the Department of Health and Human Services. Taking her place is Concord lawyer Thomas Bunnell, who was legislative director for New Hampshire Legal Assistance. Bunnell spent 12 years at Legal Assistance working on a variety of issues, including elder care and health care for the uninsured.

Mike Vlacich, who was Shaheen's scheduler, is now a special assistant for policy, focusing on economic development and technology. Tom Behrens will continue to work on tourism and trade issues. Nick Clemons, who was in the Office of Citizen Affairs, is now the scheduler, and Jill Burke, who had been the governor's receptionist, is now in Citizen Affairs.

Need a directory to keep all this straight? Just call the governor's new receptionist, Jennifer Kuzma.

Pataki will speak at Lincoln Day fest

He's back. What a surprise.

New York Governor George Pataki, who's just trying to spread the Republican gospel, of course, will be the guest of honor at the Hillsborough County Lincoln Day dinner Friday . . . US Representative John Kasich of Ohio will be on the presidential primary circuit again this weekend, in the Concord area and on the Seacoast . . . And US Senator John McCain of Arizona, who delayed announcing his presidential candidacy because of the crisis in Kosovo, will be at the Rockingham County Lincoln Day dinner tonight in Londonderry.

Speaking of Lincoln dinners, The DesMoines Register reports that the chairman of the board of Godfather's Pizza, Herman Cain, told Iowa Republicans at their sit-down last week that he was thinking about joining the GOP crew running for president in 2000.

Could this mean the end of chicken on the campaign trail?