Former GOP Chairman Fahrenkopf lobbies hard

Benjamin Grove

Monday, July 31, 2000 | 11:11 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA -- The nation's top gaming lobbyist moves freely at the Republican National Convention.

Frank Fahrenkopf earned his yellow, all-access pass after spending years as national party chairman, putting together two conventions of his own: in Dallas in 1984 and New Orleans in 1988.

Early this morning he chatted briefly with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who was dashing to a golf event.

"It's kind of hard to lobby here because this is a party atmosphere," Fahrenkopf said today in an interview at the swank Philadelphia Marriott, which this week is a sought-after address and home to some of the nation's most powerful Republicans. "But if there is an opportunity, I'm not shy. I'll twist a few arms, but you have to use discretion."

Fahrenkopf this week joins 45,000 convention-goers, including top lobbyists and special-interest power brokers, hoping to share a handshake, a meal and maybe a word with influential politicians.

Fahrenkopf said two important gambling bills pending in Congress already have surfaced in conversations with attending lawmakers, not naming names. One bill would ban betting on college sports in Nevada casinos; the other would ban Internet gambling.

"I give them my view, and they give me theirs," Fahrenkopf said.

Fahrenkopf said tonight he will face off against an NBC News team that is taping a segment about the influence of money in politics. Fahrenkopf said the premise of his appearance is that he and powerful gaming industry money have tried to bury the college gambling legislation.

"I thought about it, and if I don't appear, then they really do a hatchet job," said Fahrenkopf, who years ago was involved in litigation with NBC newsman Brian Ross, who will conduct the interview.

"He has no love for me," Fahrenkopf said. "I'll tell them that the reason the bill hasn't passed yet is because it's a bad piece of legislation."

Fahrenkopf will do as many as five media interviews a day in Philadelphia and had to sift through dozens of invitations to some of the more than 450 fund-raisers, dinners and other events this week.

Fahrenkopf has long-standing relationships with many Republicans, but he lobbies both parties on gaming issues. He notes that neither party emerges as the better friend to the gambling industry. He fends off far-left-leaning Democrats and far-right-leaning Republicans, he said.

Fahrenkopf also said that George W. Bush, who dislikes any presence of gambling in Texas, is accepting of the idea of gambling in other states.

"He seems to respect it as a states' rights issue, although he is clear that he doesn't want it in the state of Texas," the American Gaming Association president said.

Fahrenkopf, now attending his ninth Republican convention, has watched conventions change from exciting, news-making cliffhangers to scripted, dull events.

Still, Fahrenkopf says the events are crucial to the parties because party activists use the time in meeting rooms to solidify the platform, which has been in development for months. The event energizes grass-roots campaigners, he added.

"It may not be very exciting for NBC and ABC, but it's extremely important in a political context," Fahrenkopf said. "A lot of the action takes place off the convention floor."

Fahrenkopf said organizing a convention is a "logistical nightmare."

"I barely slept," Fahrenkopf said of his days as party chief. "Just trying to move people around, it's a nightmare. No one is ever happy with their hotel."