Sore losers emerge after U.S. elections

Press, 15 November 1984, Page 24

Sore losers emerge after U.S. elections

NZPA-AP Washington The expectations of many candidates in the American elections were unfulfilled and some reacted like traditional sore losers. One loser sent a cup of donkey dung to an unflattering newspaper, another called in the Federal Btireau of Investigation, and others are asking for recounts. “It dawned on me that I had so much frustration with this paper and maybe I ought to make a gesture, so I did,” said Howard Greenebaum, a Democrat, after he placed a plastic cup of donkey dung on the desk of the publisher of the “Capitol” in Annapolis, Maryland. A donkey, named Demmy, was the mascot for Mr Greenebaum’s losing campaign against Republican Marjorie Holt, who has had six terms.

The “Capitol” was not amused. In an editorial, the paper said that Mr Greenebaum had stooped to what was believed to be an “alltime low in election postmortems.”

Other frustrated losers waged more serious battles, including allegations of irregularities. One winner has gone to court over his opponent’s tactics. In West Virginia, a Republican Senate candidate, Mr John Raese, has gone to the F. 8.1. over his 30,000vote loss to Democratic Governor, Jay Rockefeller. Mr Raese’s complaint was based on discrepancies between the vote totals and the results of a television network poll that showed him winning. “I think something’s fishy,” he said. “I am not conceding a thing, at least until I get this thing cleared up.”

Federal officials said that they would not impound the voting machines, as Mr Raese had requested. The Assistant United States Attorney, Mr Jack Kessler, said there had been no evidence of vote fraud.

Curt Weldon, a Republican congressional candidate, asked for a recount and alleged voting irregularities after losing to five-term

incumbent Robert Edgar, in a heavily Republican district in eastern Pennsylvania. Unofficial returns showed Mr Edgar with 124,054 votes to Mr Weldon’s 123,573. But Mr Weldon claimed , his own figures showed him down by less than 100 votes. “We have asked that-the machines in the district be impounded and that the United States House Administration Committee observe the recount,” said a spokesman for Mr Weldon. “I think Curt is just a sore loser at this point,” said Mr Edgar. A recount may also be requested in Massachusetts, where the indicted State Representative Vincent Piro lost a bid to become a State senator to a write-in candidate by 1800 votes. “Mr Piro has every right to ask for a recount. We just think it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money,” said the winner, Salvatore Albano. Mr Piro, aged 43, was indicted on charges of attempted extortion and conspiracy involving a liquor

licence for a mall. His trial in the District Court ended in a hung jury, and he faces a retrial later this month.: The heated campaign reached its climax on the election eve when a local cable television station broadcast a programme in which actors read transcripts of secret F. 8.1. tape recordings used in Mr Piro’s trial. They showed him saying he needed “a little walking around money to grease a few guys.” Mr Piro called it the cheapest political trick Mr Albano had pulled and received rebuttal time after the 90-minute broadcast In Orange County, California, it is the winner who is upset. Robert Doman, a Republican, has filed a SUSIO million ($2O million) unfair competition suit claiming the the incumbent, representative Jerry Patterson, mailed voters copies of an erroneous voting record chart that had been published, but was later corrected, .in a local newspaper. . . . .