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Des Moines Register: Buchanan closing Iowa office

BY JEFF ZELENY/DES MOINES REGISTER

October 14, 1999
Web posted at: 4:41 p.m. EDT (2041 GMT)

DES MOINES, Iowa (Des Moines Register) -- Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan is closing his Iowa campaign headquarters, and is scheduled to announce later this month whether he plans to join the Reform Party in his bid for the White House.

His Iowa campaign chairman, Drew Ivers, said Wednesday that Buchanan was expected to unveil his decision Oct. 25.

"We have been basically in a holding pattern for the last couple of months, waiting to find out what runway strip we are going to land on," Ivers said in an interview from Indiana, where he was traveling.

Red, white and blue signs and banners at Buchanan's downtown Des Moines campaign offices on Grand Avenue were removed this week. Since the August Republican straw poll, the office has been largely vacant, with mail piling up and phones going unanswered.

"We just didn't want to pay the rent," Ivers said. "If we resume on the third-party ticket, I think we want to do a different approach. Without a caucus date coming up, we no longer would have that great of a need for an office staff in Des Moines."

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Buchanan would begin his quest for the Reform Party nomination after making an announcement Oct. 25 in Virginia and perhaps later in New Hampshire. Two officials close to the conservative commentator said Buchanan could still reverse course and stay out of the increasingly crowded third-party field, even though that appeared unlikely.

Buchanan, who is running behind in Republican polls, has said he believes the Republican party"s nomination battle is rigged in favor of Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Republicans fear that a third-party run by Buchanan would siphon conservative votes from their nominee.

Buchanan, however, would not be assured the nomination. A parade of celebrities and politicians are mentioned as potential candidates, including New York tycoon Donald Trump, Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, actress Cybill Shepherd, actor Warren Beatty and Ross Perot, founder of the party.

Even though Ivers said he was a staunch Republican, he said Wednesday that he was leaning toward sticking with Buchanan, regardless of his decision. Other Buchanan supporters in Iowa may not follow, Ivers said.

This article provided by Des Moines Register.com


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