Reagan chooses liberal

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 9

Reagan chooses liberal

NZPA-Reuter New York The contender for the Republican Presidential nomination, Mr Ronald Reagan, broke with tradition yesterday and named Senator Richard Schweiker, of Pennsylvania, as the man whoi will be his running mate; if the Californian wins! the nomination. Mr Reagan reached all thej way across the country and' the party spectrum in naming! the 50-y ear-old. two-term' Senator, one of the most liberal and pro-labour republican voices in Congress. The Schweiker announce-j ment came as a surprise. As: recently as late last week Mr Reagan had been saying that if nominated he would probably let convention delegates select his running-mate from

a list of candidates he would submit to them. But his desperate struggle with President Ford for uncommitted delegates, particularly in the key Pennsylvania delegation, of which Mr Schweiker is a member pledged to Mr Ford, brought pressure on Mr Reagan to broaden his appeal. His bold move in declaring Ja choice while still far from! assured of the nomination—l [even incumbent Presidents ‘seeking renomination in the past have traditionally kept [the party and the country '{guessing on the question of ;r nning-mates—may help {mollify northern liberals who [have felt alienated by Mr Reagan’s conservative views. There would appear to be an apparent risk, however, in •|a conservative backlash ;i since Mr Schweiker’s votes •in the Senate have been : about as liberal as those of • Walter Mondale, the Vice- ; Presidential choice of the i Democrats.

I The liberal Americans for democratic action gave Mr . Schweiker an 89 per cent rating in 1976, and the con- . servative Americans for Con- . stitutional Action gave him i a low rating of 8. The Senator is also a ■ stalwart supporter of big labour, and last year was accorded a 100 per cent rat- , ing on his voting record by [ the A.F.L.-C.1.0.'s committee Jon political education, the ; only republican in the Senate . to achieve 100 per cent rating by that group. The two met on Saturday! ■ for six hours at Mr Reagan’s i , Pacific Palisades home, said' , Mr James Lake, Mr Reagan’s! • press secretary. Two weeks! ago Mr Reagan was ini [ Pennsylvania seeking to , break away some of the Ford j and uncommitted delegates ; to his side, but there was no t indication the two men met - at that time. Mr Lake said he believed ■ Saturday’s meeting was the first between the two men. •

Reagan aides had discussed the possibility of a ReaganSchweiker ticket with the Senator about 10 days ago, Mr Lake said. Senator Schweiker is considered part of the liberal wing of the Republican Party and in 1974’s legislative ratings by the liberal Americans for democratic {action, he won a rating of 85 per cent. Mr Reagan’s announcement was greeted with “cautious approval” by Mr Jeffery’ 'Kane, head of the conservative Young Americans for (Freedom organisation. ! The latest United Press i International delegate count iin Pennsylvania showed Mr [Ford with 79, Mr Reagan with 9. and 15 uncommitted. The Democrat contender, Mr Jimmy Carter, would swamp either President Ford or Mr Reagan by a margin of more than 40 per cent, according to a Harris poll appearing in the “Washington Post” yesterday.