Moran's Character Dominates Va. Race

25-Year Career on the Line Tuesday

Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential candidate, was racing to rev up a get-out-the-vote rally for Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) when a reporter stopped him at a Tysons Corner hotel last week.

"Governor Dean, are you two peas in a passion pod?" asked Gary Reals of WUSA-TV (Channel 9), in a wry reference to the two feisty and emotional politicians.

Dean's smile vanished as he answered in a monotone. "If I thought Jim Moran had said what he allegedly said, I wouldn't be here now. I think anti-Semitism is a very serious problem. . . . I don't believe he is [an anti-Semite]. I see no evidence to the contrary."

In answering a question he wasn't asked, Dean's point was clear: Moran's opponent has sought to make Tuesday's Democratic primary in Virginia's 8th Congressional District a referendum on his character, and his 25-year political career is on the line.

There have been no recent public polls in the race, but all signs point to challenger Andrew M. Rosenberg, an Alexandria lawyer and lobbyist, playing the role of David to Moran's Goliath.

However, Moran is a wounded giant, stung most recently by the accusation of his longtime aide and pollster, Alan Secrest, that Moran made an anti-Semitic remark in a campaign meeting March 18. Secrest did not disclose what Moran said, and Moran denied making any anti-Semitic statement.

In March 2003, he infuriated Jewish and non-Jewish voters by telling an antiwar forum, "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this." Moran also said that Jewish leaders "are influential enough" to forestall a war.

Big Democratic names -- former Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairman Katherine K. Hanley, former congresswoman and state senator Leslie L. Byrne, Arlington County Board member Jay Fisette and Jeremy B. Bash, campaign aide to former vice president Al Gore -- each took steps to run against Moran before dropping out for various reasons.

Yet questions about whether Moran's experience, work ethic and underdog charm outweigh self-professed lapses in judgment have driven the primary campaign, to the exclusion of issues on which the two men mostly agree as socially liberal Democrats.

The controversy has made Rosenberg, 36, something of a supporting actor in the contest. With a limited budget, the health care and trial lawyer lobbyist who formerly worked for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) has relied on a grass-roots, door-to-door and mail campaign to package himself as an acceptable "Democratic alternative" to Moran who won't embarrass politically sophisticated Northern Virginia.

The anyone-but-Moran message has led Moran, 59, a former Alexandria mayor and stockbroker who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, to focus on reconnecting with voters and proving that he has delivered more bacon to the district than his rival could hope to.

"I think there's always going to be a cloud hanging over Moran, but if he survives this challenge, I think he will continue to survive politically," said Mark J. Rozell, political scientist at Catholic University, before adding, "This is the chance to really have that referendum within the Democratic Party: Is Moran worth it? Is what he brings to the district worth all this trouble?"

Both sides plan for a low turnout. As few as 20,000 votes could elect the winner, although last-minute publicity could drive up the vote. Moran has not faced a primary since he beat a Republican incumbent in 1990. No other races are on the ballot in the district, which includes Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and a spur of Fairfax County to Reston.

Rosenberg has raised and spent about $400,000 and visited 30,000 homes, sent mail to 50,000 households and called about 5,000 voters as of last week.