James Roosevelt Joins PACked Field In Eighth Congressional District Race

James Roosevelt, Jr. '68 officially enters the Eighth Congressional District race today with a surname and an aggressive campaign strategy that may give him prominence among his many rivals for the seat.

Roosevelt, 38-year old general counsel to the Democratic State Committee, will announce his candidacy for Congress today at VFW Post 7353 in North Cambridge.

Although a three-page spread on the candidate in this week's People Magazine can't hurt, Roosevelt is relying on an ad campaign that bills him as businessman Joseph P. Kennedy II's chief opponent.

Roosevelt, the grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt `04, labels Kennedy and himself "the, real men behind the famous names" in a $20,000 radio spot that criticizes Kennedy for condoning campaign contributions from political action committees, (PACs). Campaign spokesman Chuck McDermott said Roosevelt has not yet accepted any PAC funding.

Roosevelt's political consultant Barry Kaplovitz said the candidate's family fame would satisfy the Eighth District voters' "appetite for celebrity," the legacy of past representatives such as retiring Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr., John F. Kennedy '40, and James Michael Curley. Kaplovitz said he believes Roosevelt stirkes a balance between the glitter of a famous name and the more practical asset of substantive political skill.

State Sen. George Bachrach, claiming to be second only to Kennedy in a recent poll, said he has not accepted PAC money.

"Jim believes that Kennedy-bashing gets you headlines, but this time it's a charge without content," Bachrach said, noting that Kennedy has not yet accepted any PAC contributions.

Kennedy "does not think that there is anything morally wrong with PACs," according to McDermott, who also said the candidate had no plans to spend his own money on the race, and would abide by an overall cap on campaign spending if his opponents agreed to one.

What's in a Name?

Political consultant Michael Goldman, whose firm joined the Kennedy campaign last week, said the Kennedy name belongs to an old Massachusetts political family and is highly evocative in the district, while the Roosevelt family's origins in New York State make Roosevelt the candidate appeal to voters simply as a celebrity, but not as a native.

Bachrach concurred, adding that "the Kennedy name is still one of this generation, whereas the Roosevelt name is not so much." He also criticized Roosevelt's assertion that he is Kennedy's chief opponent, saying that "the only people who believe that are out smoking strange mushrooms."

State Rep. Thomas M. Gallagher (D-Brighton), a DSA and trade union activist, said he has accepted more than $900 in PAC contributions. "For people like Jim Roosevelt to act like their friends who drop a thousand on them are not a special interest, but somehow a collection of labor money is, is hypocritical," Gallagher said.

Private contributions to congressional campaigns may not exceed $1000. Gallagher and fellow candidate Carla Johnston have said they will not accept funds from organizations representing corporate interests.

Republican candidate Dr. Mildred F. Jefferson said "the only way the citizen of limited means can have any balance with the citizens of larger means, who can give $1000, is through the PACs." Jefferson said she believes all PACs are legitimate, including those representing industrial interests.

Roosevelt, Gallagher, and Bachrach have allsaid they would be willing to cap personalcampaign spending and would abide by a mutualdecision to cap campaign spending at $500,000, asproposed by State Rep. William F. Galvin(D-Allston), also a candidate.

Break the Bank

Carter Wilkie, a campaign spokesman for StateRep. Thomas J. Vallely (D-Back Bay), said thecandidate had not accepted PAC money, but opposeda cap on either personal or total campaignspending. Vallely, a millionnaire, has contributedat least $71,000 to his own campaign. Wilkie saidVallely had mortgaged his house for $250,000 toraise campaign funds.

Noting the publicity value of Kennedy's name,he added that "money is not going to win thisrace" and "we'd only entertain a spending cap ifJoe Kennedy changed his last name." Vallely's adcampaign, already in full swing for severalmonths, depicts him as "the other guy."

Boston City Councilor Albert L. "Dapper"O'Neill, said he planned very little fundraising."Christ," he said, "if you go on TV for a minutein prime time, it'll cost you your right arm."Instead of a high-tech media campaign, he said hewould campaign for Congress as he had for citycouncil: with a Winnebago camper, a microphone,and an extension cord, which he plans to take onthe campaign trail throughout the district.CrimsonPeter H. SchwartzJAMES ROOSEVELT JR. '68 makes a point asALBERT L. "DAPPER" O'NEIL looks on at a recentdebate of Eigth Congressional Districtcandidates.