The Race is On: Smith vs. Sununu
WASHINGTON – Sen. Bob Smith and First District Congressman John Sununu have two things in common: both are conservatives, and both are headed for a showdown in next year’s GOP Senate primary.
But when it comes to personal style and how they put it to use on Capitol Hill, the two couldn’t be further apart.
The Eagle-Tribune spent a day with both lawmakers last week, observing their working habits and talking to those who work with them.
Staff members see Sununu as a young, up-and-coming lawmaker who likes to busy himself with committee and staff meetings, dissecting the details of whatever legislation is pending at the time. He appears to be a reserved man who tries to steer clear of controversy and keep his family out of the political fray.
Smith, on the other hand, is seen as more laid back in his daily working habits, but far less reserved when it comes to diving into controversial debates. He generated a storm of controversy in 1999 when he briefly bolted from the Republican party to run as an independent for president. He raised more eyebrows a year later when he joined the debate over Elian Gonzalez, criticizing the Justice Department for ordering that the boy be returned to Cuba.
A man on the move
On a recent morning, Sununu rushed into his Congressional office at 8:35 after riding the Metro from his Crystal City, Va. apartment. The small office was quiet, the only sound coming from staffers typing at their computers.
Sununu speeded past them, coffee and paper in hand, into his office, and then a few minutes later dashed off to a Policy Committee meeting.
“He walks like a shot out of hell,” said Brian Callahan, the office staff assistant.
By all accounts, Sununu, 37, is a man on the move. He can half-run from his office to the Capitol Building across the street, his slim-build slipping in and out of revolving doors and bolting up marble steps. All while talking to reporters, greeting colleagues and never losing his breath.
Sununu has also rapidly climbed the political ladder. The son of former New Hampshire governor and former White House chief of staff John H. Sununu, he was elected to the House of Representatives six years ago and in those few years has already been named to the House Appropriations Committee and the vice chair of the House Budget Committee, leaping over more senior members of his party.
“He’s a very fast-paced guy,” said Daren McGreevy, one of Sununu’s two legislative assistants. McGreevy said Sununu easily learned Congressional procedures and rapidly became accustomed to a congressman’s packed schedule.
“You give him stuff and he’ll pick it up quickly,” said McGreevy. Before being elected to Congress, Sununu attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School and worked in small high-tech manufacturing firms. McGreevy also said Sununu is “well-respected for understanding information.”
Between committee meetings, Sununu tries to squeeze in time to talk to constituents. After his policy meeting, Sununu ran down the white marble House stairs to meet with three waiting high school girls from New Hampshire, attending the National Youth Leadership conference.
“Hi, I’m John,” he said as he stuck out his right hand to each the girls.
“What can I tell you about?” he asked, squinting, the bright morning sun reflecting off his glasses with thin gold frames.
“We would like to know everything,” said one of the girls.
“So would I,” he dryly joked. “That’s the great quest.”
The girls did not have any immediate questions, so Sununu talked about the status of the pending aviation security bill and the work being done on the Appropriations Committee.
After a few minutes, Sununu suggested, “Why don’t we take a picture?” As they walked up the House steps, a fellow House member passed by greeting Sununu with, “Good morning, senator.” Sununu modestly laughed off the joke. The picture was snapped, Sununu handed each one his business card, and then he was off.
In his office, Sununu surrounds himself with pictures of his wife, Kitty, and their three young children, an antique map of Carroll County and sports memorabilia.
By 10:30, he has jotted down notes for a teleconference with New Hampshire radio reporters. He talked with them about the status of the aviation bill in conference, the appropriation bills being written and the current situation in Afghanistan, using the same phrases he used with the students and with everyone else he will speak with that day. The entire time he paced back and forth across his office with the phone up to his left ear.
He asked for questions, listened and smiled. He rattled off a response to the only question asked without even looking at his notes.
“You got to make sure you prepare when you go in to talk with him,” said legislative correspondent Dave Cuzzi. “He knows his stuff.”
While Barbara Riley, Sununu’s press secretary, said she would not call Sununu a workaholic, she did say he is methodical, diligent and a hard-worker.
“These characteristics have helped in building a record of effective and consistent public service that New Hampshire can be proud of,” she said when asked of the upcoming campaign.
Sununu respects voters to “make choices for themselves,” but he will “work diligently” to make sure any questions about his record are answered.
‘A personable guy’
While Sununu was booked with meetings from the second he arrived to work, Smith arrived at his office on another morning around 7 a.m., after a 25-minute drive from his Virginia home. Smith, 60, enjoys arriving to an empty office.
“I have 2 hours to get some work done before the staff starts hounding me,” New Hampshire’s senior senator said from behind the huge wooden desk in his office. That morning he spent his time writing letters to constituents.
Smith grew up in New Jersey and served in the Navy before settling in New Hampshire with his wife, Mary Jo, in 1970. Smith was a high school history teacher before being elected to the House in 1984. He was elected to the Senate in 1990. Just days after abandoning his presidential run in 1999, Smith was named chairman of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, but lost his chairmanship when Sen. Jim Jeffords became and independent earlier this year. Smith is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
A senator’s office has more staff members than a congressman’s and the office is bustling. Staffers work the phones, type and chat with each other as they go about their business.
By 1:15, Smith was back in his office after spending the morning debating on the Senate floor. He sat at a long, wooden conference table with his EPW Committee staff members.
On the red wall behind Smith is a painting of a Navy boat, Navy seals hang on the wall and two miniature fighter planes on top of one of his cabinets. Pictures of his wife and three grown children are scattered around the room.
Smith was briefed on the bills to be discussed at the EPW mark-up in a few minutes, where the committee amends legislation before it is debated on the Senate floor. Smith listens to them, but also asks plenty of questions about which members support what bill.
Before heading to the mark-up, Smith also met with students from the National Youth Leaders Conference. In an instant, he switched from legislative talk into a laid-back chat with the students.
“How are you guys doing?” he asked the five students as he enters the conference room.
“What do you young people talk about in school about terrorism and anthrax?” he asked after shaking their hands. The students appeared overwhelmed by Smith’s loud voice and towering presence, but immediately ask questions.
“How far will this go?” one student asked.
“It’s going to be a long haul,” said Smith frankly. “I don’t think you should go through your life in fear.” After meeting for about 10 minutes, Smith thanked the students for coming, said good-bye, and like a father called out to them to be careful.
“He’s a personable guy,” says Jeff Marschner, assistant to Smith’s communications director. Marschner also calls Smith “outgoing.” He points out that Smith is a former high school teacher and you can see signs of his previous job in the way he interacts with the students.
“He’s really easy to communicate with from what I’ve heard compared to other members,” said Brian Darling, Smith’s general counsel, echoing Marschner’s comments. He says Smith is “pretty straight forward.”
Lisa Harrison, Smith’s communications director, has worked for Smith for 17 years and has also worked on all of his campaigns. She knows how Smith’s personal style translates on the campaign trail.
“The voters really like him as a person,” she said. “He stands for what he believes in.”
She said Smith “shoots straight.” People know what he stands for and they also know he “tells it like it is.” But, also, Harrison said voters know that no matter what Smith’s stance is on an issue, and no matter how much voters may disagree with him, he will always listen to them.
She anticipates that the upcoming campaign will be no different than campaigns of the past.
Family and the 2002 campaign
The upcoming Senate primary will be a tight race for both candidates and already, Republican senators are split on who they will support. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., are supporting Sununu. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and New Hampshire 2nd District Congressman Charles Bass, R-Peterborough, have refused to pick sides.
Part of the reason for the split and perhaps for Sununu’s decision to run for Senate, may be Smith’s brief party, which drew criticism from his Republican colleagues.
For now, both candidates are reluctant to talk about next year’s campaign.
“Honestly, I haven’t even had time to think about it,” Smith said when asked about the campaign for next September’s Senate primary. “I have a few staff who try to keep things going right now.”
But now he says his job is to “help my president win this war and help my constituents get through this.” He said when he goes to New Hampshire, all his constituents want to talk about it terrorist and that is his priority now.
Smith’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said when Smith is in Washington, he focuses on his job as a lawmaker and when he is in New Hampshire, he is in “campaign mode.” But he said Smith has had one or two fundraisers in Washington in the past month.
While Smith is tight-lipped about the upcoming primary, he will answer without hesitation questions about his family.
“You may want to know background things, like what I do for enjoyment,” said Smith, freely dishing out his hobbies: reading, likes football and golf and going fly fishing with his children and talking about the love for his family.
“It’s tough to balance the personal and the schedule,” said Smith, who has been putting off getting a cap on his tooth for the past two months.
The soft-spoken Sununu, on the other hand, is more guarded when discussing his family and non-political life. He says his family does not play much of a role in politics and that through scheduling events in advance, he has managed to strike a balance for his political career and family time.
“If the difficulty were too much for me and my family than I wouldn’t do it because it wouldn’t be worth it if my family ultimately couldn’t have come first,” he said confidently.
Sununu also said the 2002 to election is not his priority now. His focus is on completing this session of Congress. As the election approaches his campaign will not focus on what issues he and Sen. Smith differ on, but rather, what he is like as a person.
“I believe the most important thing I can do is see and meet with as many people across the state personally, look them in the eye, talk to them about my background and experience and the vision have for the future,” he said.
Even though Sununu may not be vigorously campaigning yet, Paul Collins, Sununu’s chief of staff, said Sununu’s campaign committee is actively fundraising and the congressman attended a fundraising dinner on Nov. 6 in Washington.
