Presidential candidates are canvassing the state to try to convince Iowans toattend the Republican Party’s Straw Poll August 14th in Ames. Radio Iowa’sRepublican presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole hung out at Festa Italiana inDes Moines Sunday afternoon, shaking hands, signing up supporters andgetting on a carnival ride which flung her upside down. Cathie Fegley is Dole’s Polk County co-chair.Fegley says the campaign was able to sign up dozens of people for the Doleeffort. Dominic Rizzuti (rih-ZOO’-tee) immigrated from Italy to Des Moinesmore than six decades ago, and he can count on one hand the number of timeshe’s voted Republican. He says he’ll vote for Mrs. Dole this time around.Pat Buchanan spoke at a Des Moines church (The First Church of the OpenBible) Sunday morning, saying the fight against the “Evil Empire” ofcommunism first got him involved in politics. Buchanan said his new fightis against America’s “moral crisis” which has made abortion, pornography andgambling “growth industries.”Steve Forbes has mailed an endorsement letter signed by a dozen Iowa clergyand Christian leaders.During an appearance on Iowa Public Television, Forbes denied his campaign tried to hire people to vote in the Straw Poll. The now-fired leader ofthe Iowa Christian Coalition made the charge, then retracted it last week.Orrin Hatch has called on his competitors for the Republican Party’spresidential nomination to sign an affadavit, pledging they won’t pay peopleto vote in the upcoming Straw Poll.Bush campaign spokesman Eric Woolson says “the charge is ridiculous andpeople shouldn’t put much stock in rumors.”
