GOP forms

GOP forms

committee

on letters

Frazier: NEA flap

not behind change

By MARK SCOLFORO

Rappahannock N»w« Staff Writer

The Rappahannock Republican Committee formed an “Editorial Subcommittee” last week to provide for a review process pertaining to letters sent to the Rappahannock News, according to Chairman Ron Frazier.

“Some on the committee are liberal minded and they felt someone could overstep their bounds by sending [a letter] in,” said Mr. Frazier.

Mr. Frazier created a flap recently by writing letters attacking federal Rinding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), letters that drew a number of responses in opposition to his opinions.

“It’s not a gag or gag order. . . . It’s more an involvement, a more active committee stand,” said Mr. Frazier.

He said the formation of the Editorial Subcommittee was not a result of any split within the county Republicans over the NEA funding issue. “I don’t think there’s anyone on the committee who feels the opposite way about that,” he said.

The committee has had some review of official statements in the past, he noted, but the formation of the Editorial Subcommittee is unprecedented.

“There was a remark back about the late October letter I wrote [to the News]; one member stated it might not be in the best interests of the committee,” said Mr. Frazier.

That letter said the News’ political endorsements appeared to have been done “under coercion,” and that a poster of State Senate candidate Margaret Haynes had been tacked up over one of incumbent Republican Sen. Kevin Miller.

The poster incident, said Mr. Frazier in the letter, and “the terrible ad Mr. [Doug] Baumgardner [then-chairman of the county Democrats] approved in [the News’] last issue show that the Democrats are desperate and their candidates losers.

See FRAZIER, p. A-3