Price foe in uphill battle

DURHAM -- On a mission to knock out an entrenched Democrat in the 4th Congressional District, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Steve Acuff could be mistaken for a man trying his level best to go down in flames.

Democrats make up 47 percent of the electorate in the district, easily outnumbering Republicans at 31 percent. Democratic U.S. Rep. David Price has hammered his last four GOP opponents by double-digit margins and has amassed a pile of campaign cash that dwarfs the $44,760 Acuff has raised, much of it from the challenger's own pocket.

But rather than moderate his message, Acuff describes himself as a "George Bush Republican." In a district that includes the Democratic strongholds of Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro, Acuff is charting a defiantly conservative course -- if only he can get anyone to pay attention.

In his modest downtown Durham headquarters, located on a narrow alley closed to vehicular traffic, Acuff is surrounded by mementos from his 30-year military career. A worn, bookmarked Bible rests on his desk while paintings of fighter jets, afterburners shooting twin trails of fire behind them, adorn the walls.

During an interview earlier this month that lasted longer than an hour, no telephone was heard to ring.

Though the district gave John Kerry 55 percent of the vote in the 2004, Acuff derides the Massachusetts senator and others who publicly criticize Bush for giving "aid and comfort" to al-Qaeda.

That would include Price, an outspoken critic of a Bush administration he describes as "out-of-touch and out-of-control." Price was one of 155 House members who voted in October 2002 against the resolution giving Bush the authority to invade Iraq, instead voting for an alternative bill that would have given Congress another chance to review the situation before authorizing military action.

Acuff says there isn't a Democrat in office who can be trusted on national security. Acuff supports keeping Iraq as the main front in the war on terror. Withdrawing before victory, Acuff said, is cutting and running.

"This whole idea things are so screwed up over there, I believe that's a lot of political spin that's not true," Acuff said. "I don't recall anyone asking FDR for an exit strategy."

Though national pundits consider Price's re-election virtually assured, the incumbent is not likely to let down his guard. Price was defeated in 1994, when Raleigh police chief Fred Heineman rode a national Republican wave to a surprise victory. Price won the seat back two years later.

He was recently wooing voters door-to-door in western Wake County. It is the fastest-growing part of the district and one that votes increasingly Republican in local races.

On Saturday morning, Price took a break at a Morrisville Starbucks so new it had seemingly sprung from a farm field within hours. It was packed with groggy customers seeking caffeine; no one seemed to notice the congressman seated at a corner table. Price sipped from his third cup of the day, undiluted by cream or sugar.

"People are unhappy," Price said. "They tell you they are unhappy. They believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. They sense the decline of our stature in the world, and they sense this economy is not as great as Bush keeps saying it is."

If Democrats take control of the U.S. House, Price is in line to chair a subcommittee that controls spending for the Department of Homeland Security. He refers to the still at-large architect of the Sept. 11 attacks as "Osama Been Forgotten" for the rarity with which Bush mentions his name.

Without money for consultants, experienced staff or television ads, Acuff is mounting what he calls a "grassroots" campaign -- which he defined as "working without dollars." He is pinning his hopes on low voter turnout and unprecedented support from socially conservative blacks.

"That's one of the reasons I'm in Durham, to work on the conservative black vote," Acuff said. "If you believe it is a choice, not a baby, then vote for David Price. If you think two men can get married, then vote for Price."

It is an electoral strategy few give much odds of success.

"He's climbing a greased pole as far as unseating David Price," said Howard Clement, a Durham council member and Republican who is black. "Beyond party loyalty, Price has a lot of popularity with black leaders in Durham based on relationships going back many years."

Acuff acknowledges his views are more conservative than those of many voters in the district but says he is confident he can win.

"I think people, even in our liberal district here, are a little tired of politics as usual," he said. "They're tired of the constant confrontation, the constant finger-pointing. I believe folks think we can do better."