Nuke ads ignite Ensign-Coffin fireworks

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

A blistering television ad implying that congressional candidate Bob Coffin supports locating a nuclear waste dump in Nevada has ignited a campaign conflagration.

Coffin called a news conference Tuesday to reinforce his opposition to the proposed dump, which would be located at Yucca Mountain about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

A Coffin supporter appeared at the news conference dressed as an octopus to criticize Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., for running a negative ad.

"When an octopus is threatened like John Ensign is in this election, he squirts ink to muddy and cloud the water and the issues hoping to make an escape," Coffin said.

Coffin, a state senator, is one of four Democrats vying in Tuesday's primary election to face Ensign and three minor-party candidates in the Nov. 5 general election.

The 30-second spots, which began airing Sunday, claim that "Coffin contributors" are "waging a campaign to put temporary nuclear waste storage in Nevada."

The ad doesn't reveal that the contributors are political action committees representing national labor unions. Many of the contributors are from AFL-CIO building trades, which are campaigning for a nuclear dump in Nevada because it could provide jobs.

"If you don't want nuclear waste stored in Nevada, call Bob Coffin and tell him to denounce these Washington special-interest groups and tell his contributors 'no,'" the ad says.

Coffin cried foul, saying he has long opposed dumping waste in Nevada.

Ensign, who denied the ads depict Coffin as a nuclear-waste supporter, said he was right to criticize a special-interest group endeavoring to bring nuclear waste to Nevada. Polls show an overwhelming number of Nevadans oppose locating a dump in the state.

"I won't tell even a half-truth in any of my ads," Ensign said. "The ads clearly state that Mr. Coffin ask his supporters who support nuclear waste to back off."

Ensign said he spent about $50,000 on the ads, which will run at least through this week.

Coffin has found himself in the middle of an expensive television advertising war between Ensign and organized labor. The AFL-CIO has budgeted $35 million nationally to attack a handful of GOP congressmen, including Ensign, whose voting records are anti-union.

Ensign conceded that he's trying to define Coffin's image, as labor has done to him.

"When the other side has been negative for almost a year and spends almost a million dollars against you, you have to fight back," Ensign said. "We still plan on running a positive campaign."

Candidates in other races are also asserting that union contributions indicate support for a nuclear waste dump.

In the Assembly District 14 Democratic primary, Mark Clarke has sent a mailer to constituents alleging that Ellen Koivisto, whom unions have endorsed, "wants a nuke dump."

Koivisto has mailed a letter to voters saying she is "totally opposed to making Yucca Mountain either a temporary or permanent storage site for nuclear waste."

Coffin tried to counter Ensign's ads by saying that Ensign voted for the House budget resolution in May 1995 which would have placed a temporary nuclear dump in Nevada.

"The only man in this race on record as favoring a nuclear-waste dump in Nevada is John Ensign," Coffin said.

Ensign said the resolution was nonbinding and that the dump language was removed during the budget reconciliation process. Ensign reiterated that he staunchly opposes storing nuclear waste in Nevada.