a look at life on the campaign trial QUOTABLE H This bill is a mean spirited attempt to divide our nation and use anti gay ■ DEFAZIO prejudice for the most cynical political purposes. It’s the same kind of gratuitous gay-bashing that we ’ve seen the OCA engage in for years in the State of Oregon. — Rep. Peter DeFazio on the House vote Friday to ban same-sex marriages -„ BRIEFLY Buchanan miffed with Dole’s aides WASHINGTON — Repub lican rebel Pat Buchanan an grily sniped at rival Bob Dole’s presidential campaign aides Monday, calling them “little twerps” whose service to the GOP pales next to his own. “Look, I’m a good Republi can. I bet I got more service in the Republican Party than all these little aides, anonymous aides, that are quoted con stantly,” Buchanan said in a broadcast interview. He was responding to a CNN report in which an un named Dole aide speculated the presumptive Republican nominee is actually helped by criticism from Buchanan on the party’s right wing. Asked Monday if Dole was the strongest candidate for the GOP nomination, Buchanan replied, “No. I’m the strongest candidate.” Dole intensifies search for ninnina mate ■ INQUIRY: Several different Republican state governors are being considered By John King The Associated Press FAJARDO, Puerto Rico — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge said Monday he had been inter viewed by a member of Bob Dole’s vice presidential search team and asked to provide “pre liminary information” that sources said included health and financial records. As Dole intensifies his search, the 50-year-old Ridge “is the top horse at the moment,” according to a senior Dole aide. Dole himself spoke for 20 minutes Sunday with another prospect, Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, but aides to both men said the vice presidential nomination did not come up. Ridge, a decorated Vietnam vet eran who served 12 years in the House before being elected Penn sylvania governor in 1994, attend ed baseball’s All-Star game with Dole last week. Ridge was con tacted later in the week by Roder ick DeArment, a lawyer conduct ing background investigations for Dole’s search team. Sources familiar with the search had told The Associated Press on Monday that Ridge had been interviewed by DeArment. Asked about the source accounts, Ridge told AP: “We had some pre liminary discussions about that.” The governor declined to speci fy what was discussed or what in formation the Dole campaign sought from him. But the sources said the request was for biograph ical, medical and financial records being collected as part of the search team’s background in vestigations. Ultimately, Ridge predicted Dole would choose someone else. “There was a request for some preliminary information, which I — we’ll see where it goes,” he said. Dole himself has said he would consider New Jersey Gov. Chris tine Whitman. But one Republi can associate of Whitman said Monday that she said no when Dole’s search team asked recently if she would submit health, finan cial and other records. Dole spoke to Thompson on Sunday to discuss his Tuesday speech to the National Governors Association meeting in Puerto Rico. Thompson is chairman of the organization. Aides said Dole asked about the weather and wel fare reform, a central theme of his speech, but gave no clues of his consideration of Thompson as a potential running mate. “I don’t think I’m going to be fig I don’t think I'm going to be the choice. ... I’m too opinionated. — Gov. Tommy Thompson Wisconsin --99 the choice,” Thompson said Mon day, noting that his state had only II electoral votes. “Besides,” he said, “I’m too opinionated.” As Dole intensifies his search, the developments are of more than passing concern at the NGA meeting. In addition to Thomp son, John Engler of Michigan and George Voinovich of Ohio are of ten mentioned as vice presiden tial prospects. Others include former South Carolina Gov. Carroll Campbell and Arizona Sen. John McCain. And Dole has at several meetings mentioned James A. Baker IB, the former secretary of state and trea sury secretary. Dole will turn 73 next week. Because of his age, Dole said at one recent meeting that it was im perative his vice presidential pick have a clean bill of health — pointedly noting that media ac counts were certain to point out that House Speaker Newt Gin grich is second in the line of presi dential succession. The health concern weighs, against the chances of Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar and former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, both of whom have had major heart trouble. Throughout the spring, there was a spirited, and sometimes pointed, competition among Mid western GOP governors for atten tion in the vice presidential spec ulation game. But as Dole closes in on making his choice before next month’s Republican conven tion, the jockeying has became more subdued and polite. In part, this is because aides to Engler, Voinovich and Thompson say their bosses do not believe they will be picked. Dole has also voiced displeasure at any public campaigning for the slot. Engler shrugs at the questions. “I think Senator Dole is fully capable of making this decision on his own,” he said Monday. Within the Dole campaign, even the most ardent boosters of retired Gen. Colin Powell have come to believe he means it when he says he is not interested. And while Dole’s poor standing with women voters would make Whit man an attractive choice, most Dole aides say that because of her outspoken support of abortion rights, picking Whitman would be too much of an insult to the party’s conservative base. Oregon Senate contenders close in money totals ■ FUNDS: The difference in Tom Bruggere and Gordon Smith’s campaign funds is where the money comes from By Charles Beggs The Associated Press SALEM — The Republican and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate have campaign chests close to the same size. The difference is where the money is coming from. More than half of the $1.3 million in Demo crat Tom Bruggere’s campaign fund came from his own pocket, according to reports submit ted Monday to the Federal Election Commis sion. Republican Gordon Smith has raised virtu ally all his campaign cash through donations, reporting $1.2 million in receipts through June 30. In the most recent reporting period, May and June, Smith raised $635,000 to $241,000 for Bruggere. Bruggere, a retired businessman who helped found Mentor Graphics Inc., has loaned his campaign $899,000. He says he will not put more than $1 million of his own money into the race. Spokesman Geoff Stuckart said more fund raising people were joining the campaign. Bruggere has never run for public office. Smith, owner of a Pendleton frozen food company, is president of the Oregon Senate. He spent more than $2 million of his own money in losing a Senate contest to Democrat Ron Wyden earlier this year. Wyden won the seat vacated when Repub lican Bob Packwood resigned. Smith and Bruggere are vying for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Mark Hatfield. All of Smith’s campaign income was from contributions except for $48,000 in interest paid by Smith on a loan he took out for his first Senate race. It had to be listed as a campaign receipt under federal law, said campaign man ager Dan Lavey. About 70 percent of Smith’s contributions came from individuals and 30 percent from political committees. About 20 percent of Bruggere’s donations were from political com mittees. Smith reported 3,896 individual contribu tions to 1,643 for Bruggere. 1 > JUMMER < MONDAY^THURSDAY 12noon<*11wa FRIDAY 12hoon- 12am ' 4-/ BILLIARDS BOWL INC VIDEO ARCADE TABLE TENNIS FOOSBALL FREE USE OF CARDS AND BOARD OAMES Call 346-3711 for more information Delta Airlines July Special | Eugene To: [London -$598.00* [Paris -$805.00* [Frankfurt -$793.00* [Zurich -$872.00* [Amsterdam-$854.00* , * Delta travel must originate in July. i Students only! Portland To: Auckland - $825.00! Melborne - $895.00 1 Sydney - $895.00! Cash For Textbooks Mon.-Sat. Smith Family Bookstore 768 E. 13th 1 Block From Campus 345-1651 Look into ODE Classifieds! 346-4343