Republican U.S. Senate candidate Judy Koehler, speaking on a radio station that reaches Chicago`s black community, said Monday that she is opposed to divestment as a means of ending apartheid in South Africa.
Koehler, a conservative state representative from Downstate Henry, told the audience that she opposes apartheid, but that divestment would only deny job opportunities to blacks and spark a ”racial war” in South Africa.
”Many of those who support divestment forget that if those American companies are withdrawn and those people are denied their work opportunity, that is only going to add to the unrest that is already within this unstable country,” Koehler said. ”That allows for more opportunities for the Soviets to come in and, through their expansionistic policies, take a larger role.”
Koehler made her remarks during a taping of WHPK-FM`s ”Election 86,” to be broadcast at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The station is owned and operated by the University of Chicago; station officials said most of its listeners are black. After the taping, Koehler defended her remarks and said she was not worried about losing votes among blacks.
Koehler`s election opponent, Democratic Sen. Alan Dixon, voted along with a majority of Congress to override President Reagan`s veto of stiff economic sanctions against South Africa. That measure, in part, bans new investment in South Africa but it does not require full divestment by U.S. firms and individuals.
Koehler has opposed the economic sanctions passed by Congress and has instead supported more limited sanctions proposed by Reagan.
Koehler also used the radio appearance as an opportunity to tout her support for the creation of federal enterprise zones, a proposition supported by Reagan to help revitalize economically depressed areas.
On the same day she extended her message to the traditionally Democratic South Side, Koehler also worked to shore up her support among women, a voting bloc that is crucial to her underdog bid against Dixon.
One of the nation`s most prominent Republican women, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole, stumped for Koehler at a $50-a-plate fundraiser in downtown Chicago attended by 60 people. Dole later appeared at a news conference with Koehler.
While Koehler spent much of the day in the Chicago area, Dixon concentrated his efforts Downstate, where he maintained a whirlwind schedule of media interviews.
The candidates are scheduled to participate in a taped television debate Thursday, but a second debate planned for next week was called off. Koehler said Dixon ”welched” on his commitment for two encounters.
”The polls show he has a 40-point lead, and he is still playing politics,” said Koehler, who has more to gain by the media exposure of a debate. ”He`s scared. He doesn`t want his record questioned.”
The League of Women Voters originally had scheduled two Dixon-Koehler debates, one in Carbondale and one in the Chicago area. But the league canceled the Carbondale event when it was unable to secure live television coverage, a league spokeswoman said.
”We were willing and anxious to do the Carbondale debate, even without live TV coverage, but Judy didn`t want to do it,” said Wade Nelson, Dixon`s press secretary. Koehler then lined up a Peoria station willing to televise a debate, but Dixon declined.
The differences between them were explicit Monday on the issue of apartheid.
Dixon voted, along with a majority of Congress, to override Reagan`s veto of stiff economic sanctions against South Africa. That measure, in part, bans new investment in South Africa, but it does not require full divestment by U.S. firms and individuals.
Koehler has opposed the economic sanctions passed by Congress and has instead supported more limited sanctions proposed by Reagan.
