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Web-posted Oct. 27

By Gregory Patterson
South Carolina Bureau

U.S. Rep. Lindsey Graham's re-election bid has attracted $60,000 from transportation and energy interests.

How some of those dollars found their way to Mr. Graham is a lesson in campaign finance - the obvious and not-so-obvious links between a candidate and his contributors.

In a computer analysis of Mr. Graham's $192,150 in receipts from political action committees since Jan. 1, 1995, $27,375 came from energy interests, especially Westinghouse and Duke Power.

The link is clear - the 3rd Congressional District is home to both the Savannah River Site - operated by Westinghouse - and the Oconee Nuclear Station.

``The men and women of Westinghouse wish to support candidates whose ideas and views are consistent with the interests of Westinghouse and clearly Mr. Graham is one of those,'' company spokeswoman Mimi Limbach said about the company PAC's $3,500 donation.

But energy concerns were just the second-ranking interest among Mr. Graham's PAC givers. At least $33,500 - 17 percent of the PAC total - came from transportation groups.

A third of that transportation money came from one group - the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Political observers and even Mr. Graham's campaign manager were at a loss to find the link.

``I don't know what the connection could be. He's not on the (House) Transportation Committee,'' University of South Carolina professor Blease Graham said. Mr. Graham is on the Science Committee and the Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee.

Mr. Graham said the reason for the donation - besides his pro-business philosophy - is simply friendship. One of Mr. Graham's earliest supporters in his hometown of Seneca was Bob Edwards, owner of Edwards Auto Sales and a high-ranking member of the NADA.

``He's an Oconee (County) boy and I'm an Oconee boy and he's been doing a good job,'' said Mr. Edwards, who added that he promoted the PAC donation. ``We're not looking for him to do anything for us and we're not expecting anything.''

Of Mr. Graham's $418,000 in contributions from individual donors, $3,750 came from Indiana residents who listed their employer, a federal requirement for donors of more than $200, as USA Group.

The Indianapolis-based company is the parent company of the largest guarantor of federal student loans in the country, USA Group spokesman Bob Murray said.

Until two years ago, those loans came from private banks and the interest on them was paid back to federal banks, Mr. Murray said. Now the loans come directly from and are paid back to the government, something Mr. Graham opposes and would like to change.

``His views likely coincide with the views of several employees of USA Group,'' Mr. Murray said.

USA Group's interests do coincide with Mr. Graham's committee assignment: the Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee has jurisdiction over student loans.

Mr. Graham's Democratic opponent, Debbie Dorn, drew 60 percent of her $12,600 in PAC contributions from labor groups, traditional supporters of Democrats.

``That's no surprise,'' Dorn spokesman Brad Bledsoe said. ``Debbie talks about job security, education, the minimum wage, things that would interest people who work for a living.''

The Communications Workers of America, which represents BellSouth employees, was the biggest contributor, donating $5,000. The International Union of Operating Engineers, which has a branch in Aiken, gave Ms. Dorn $600.

``Debbie is more labor-friendly'' said Russell Britt, the business manager of IUOE Local 470. ``I've asked Lindsey to do things for labor and the only thing I've gotten is nasty letters.''

Of Ms. Dorn's individual contributors, prominent Democrats were an important source. She received $3,050 from Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler and Frances Close, sister of U.S. Senate candidate Elliott Close.

PAC donations amounted to a third of the money Mr. Graham raised this election and about a sixth of the $70,160 Ms. Dorn raised. But both candidates say they'd support campaign finance reform that would limit PAC money and influence in Congress.

Ms. Dorn even said last week that she would return all her PAC money if Mr. Graham would do the same. But Mr. Graham has said he'll play by the rules until those rules are changed.

``If she took the money (from PACs) thinking she owed them anything other than good government, she shouldn't have taken it,''Mr. Graham said.

Staff Writer Paul Garber contributed to this article.