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Connecticut's 5th Congressional District Drawing Attention From National Leaders in Both Parties

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BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: No matter which man becomes president, Gore or Bush, the next president is going to have to get his agenda through Congress, no matter what party is in charge. And the battle to control the legislative branch may come down to a handful of races scattered around the country.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports on a race that has drawn some attention from national leaders in both parties.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The candidates in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District may not look familiar, but the big shots they have campaigning for them sure do -- President Clinton on the trail for Democrat incumbent James Maloney.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If everyone of you talked to three people between now and November, that would be far more than the victory margin he had in the last election.

FEYERICK: And for the Republican challenger Mark Nielsen, Senator John McCain out banging the drum along with one-time presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole.

ELIZABETH DOLE (R), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And what a privilege it is for me to be here to support Mark Nielsen's candidacy for the United States Congress.

FEYERICK: Both parties have brought out their big guns, because the fight is so tight for control of the House, one seat could swing it either way.

STUART ROTHENBERG, "THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT": It's clearly one of the three or four best chances for the Republicans to knock off a sitting Democrat.

REP. JAMES MALONEY (D), CONNECTICUT: Hi, Jim Maloney.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I know you who are.

MALONEY: Nice to see you.

FEYERICK: The Democrats are holding fast, banking on strong voter turnout for Connecticut son, Joseph Lieberman.

MALONEY: We have a great campaign going. I think that the Gore- Lieberman campaign in Connecticut is a big boost to everybody. So I'm very pleased with what's happening.

FEYERICK: Republican candidate Mark Nielsen, who narrowly lost to Maloney in 1998, is also pleased Lieberman's running. So much so, he's running an ad showing the Connecticut senator look right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, NIELSEN CAMPAIGN AD)

NARRATOR: Today, when America wants leaders with honesty and integrity...

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MARK NIELSEN (R), CONNECTICUT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: The subliminal message that I'm getting out to the voters is that Jim Maloney is no Joe Lieberman. That Joe Lieberman has a reputation for independence and integrity and Jim Maloney does not.

FEYERICK: Nielsen, who has been going door to door, accuses Maloney of campaign finance abuse -- something Maloney vigorously denies.

(on camera): Connecticut's 5th Congressional District has a history of being a swing district. Voters change back and forth between the Democrats and the Republicans with no qualms about tossing an incumbent.

(voice-over): Two-term Congressman-Maloney beat out a Republican four years ago, a debt Republican Mark Nielsen hopes to repay in a race experts say is too close to call.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Connecticut.

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