A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Thursday, April 30, 1998

Suffering from bad publicity and poor financial support in his gubernatorial campaign, former Boston mayor Raymond L. Flynn decided Monday that he would have a better chance at winning the congressional seat of retiring Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) Flynn's said his decision to switch to the 8th District race came after an emotional speech to 400 Vietnam veterans in downtown Boston.

"Well, I am unemployed. Vernon Jordan has yet to give me a call to help me out." – George Bush, at a fund-raiser for Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.). (The Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, April 30)

New Quest for Flynn: Congress (The Boston Globe, April 30)

S.C. Turns Down Chance to Ban Nudity
After half an hour of very quotable debate on the floor of the South Carolina House, members of that august body declined to approve a bill that would have outlawed all nudity except that required by "the care, hygiene and feeding of babies and infants." During the debate, one lawmaker volunteered to serve as the official state measurer, who would be charged with determining whether at least one-third of the gluteus maximus is covered, as required by the bill.
Nudity Bill Gets Laughs, Not Votes (The State, Columbia, S.C., April 30)

Arizona GOP Argues Over How to Cut Car Tax
Add the Arizona vehicle license tax to the list of contentious issues dividing state Republicans. Lawmakers working to complete the state budget are hung up on the number of years over which the tax should be eliminated.
GOP Factions Quarrel Over Vehicle Tax(The Arizona Republic, April 30)
GOP Rupture (The Arizona Republic, April 30)

Kevorkian Lawyer Features Sex, Religion and Attacks in Radio Ads
Geoffrey Fieger, the Michigan Democrat best known for his defense of assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, on Monday became the first gubernatorial candidate to run radio ads. One ad depicts a businessman trying to get his wife into bed, another ad targets conservative Christians and blames Republican Gov. John Engler for homelessness, drug addiction, corruption and hate crimes.
Fieger's Radio Ads Won't Pull Punches (Detroit Free-Press, April 30)

S.C. Democrat Gets Gubernatorial Boost From Poker Machine Owner
Amid contentious debate over the future of South Carolina's video poker industry, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hodges will benefit from a fund-raiser being held next week by a man who holds licenses for 168 video poker machines. Hodges says he supports a ban on the machines.
Upstate Video Poker Businessman to Sponsor Fund-Raiser for Hodges (The State, Columbia, S.C., April 30)

Bush Helps Bond at Missouri Fund-Raiser
Former President George Bush praised Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) at a Wednesday fund-raiser that garnered at least $125,000 for his reelection campaign.
Bush Has Kind Words for Bond at Fund-Raiser (The Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, April 30)

Arkansans Give Lawmakers Middling Marks on Ethics
On Wednesday, when the Arkansas Senate unanimously adopted a code of ethics to prohibit senators from using their political influence for financial gain, a new poll showed that 75 percent of Arkansans say their state government is "moderately ethical."
Arkansans Give State Government a 'C' in Ethics (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 30)
Senate Adopts Code of Ethics by 34-0 Vote (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 30)

Mich. Democrat Figures Best Defense Is Good Fund-Raising Offense
In her first reelection bid, U.S. Rep. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) is repeating the same tactic that helped her upset an incumbent two years ago: raise money like there is no tomorrow. Stabenow has 40 times as much money as her opponent, but she figures she will need it to fend off a GOP attack late in the campaign. Her 8th District seat is one that will likely be a target for national Republicans.
Stabenow Stuffs Campaign Coffers (The Detroit News, April 30)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com