Word: vander
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...leaders, however, share Rhodes' allegiance to the old political rules. In fact, the National Republican Congressional Committee this year is cold-bloodedly working hard to unseat nearly all of the House Democratic leaders. The break with tradition was engineered by the committee's chairman, Michigan Congressman Guy Vander Jagt, who is unopposed for re-election and hopes to succeed Rhodes as G.O.P. floor leader...
...Vander Jagt started nearly two years ago collecting data on the Democratic leaders' voting records and the political complexion of their districts. He believes that nearly all of the Democrats have grown soft from lack of serious opposition over the years and can be beaten. He insists that there is nothing personal in the assault. Says he: "I consider myself good friends with all of these fellows. I feel close to them, warm. I won't say a bad word about them. But I will speak for their Republican challengers...
...list includes Majority Leader Jim Wright of Texas, Majority Whip John Brademas of Indiana, Caucus Chairman Thomas Foley of Washington, National Congressional Committee Chairman James Corman of California, Interior and Insular Affairs Committee Chairman Morris Udall of Arizona, and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Al Ullman of Oregon. The Vander Jagt committee has found formidable candidates to run against all of them, and is backing each of its nominees with $21,000 in campaign cash and advice on strategy, opponents' weaknesses...
Ironically, one of the chief targets of Vander Jagt, who was the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, is Mo Udall, 58, who was the Democratic keynoter. Admits Bruce Wright, Udall's campaign manager: "The Republicans smell blood this time." The ten-term Congressman's chief problem is the rapidly shifting political complexion of his district. It includes Tucson, which is part of Pima County. The county normally accounts for about 80% of the district's votes, and its population has soared from 275,000 to 531,885 during Udall's 19 years in Congress...
Another of Vander Jagt's targets, Oregon's Al Ullman, 66, professes to be less concerned about his own fate in November than about what the new partisanship may do to the House. Says Ullman: "You get a little wary about personal relationships when people go for the jugular...