Date: Fri 22-Aug-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

politics-primary-Democrat

Full Text:

Democrats Will Give Rosenthal $2,500 To Beat Fetzer

The Democratic Party last week gave one Democrat money in an effort to defeat

another.

The party's town committee voted to give Democrat Herb Rosenthal, its endorsed

candidate for first selectman, a total of $2,500 for his campaign against

primary challenger Gary Fetzer, a Democratic member of the Board of Selectmen.

The primary is scheduled for September 9.

Mr Fetzer said he was disappointed that his own party would use money to

defeat him, calling the move "old-time politics." A lot of people were upset

about the move, he said, pointing out that the money was supposed to be used

for winning in November.

"It's sort of ironic that money that I helped raise during the car raffle is

now being used against me," Mr Fetzer said. "Obviously, the established

political party is lined up against me."

But, as Democratic Town Committee chairman Earl J. Smith pointed out, that

money would have gone to Mr Fetzer if he had received the party nomination at

the caucus. The town committee, he said, voted overwhelmingly to finance Mr

Rosenthal's campaign.

Alan Clavette, Mr Fetzer's campaign treasurer, pointed out that several months

ago an ad-hoc sub-committee voted to recommend that campaign money not be

given out during a primary. However, the full town committee never approved

that recommendation, apparently opening up the door for the Democrats to

financially back Mr Rosenthal in the September primary.

The Democrats have a total of $6,000 to spend in their run for first

selectman.

Meanwhile, the Republican team of Russ Melita and Bill Brimmer are conserving

their resources and waiting to see who they will face in the November

election.