Dannemeyer Won’t Speak for Bush at Health Conference

After days of public speculation, Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) confirmed Thursday that he will not speak on behalf of Vice President George Bush at a health conference today in San Diego.

Dannemeyer, a staunch conservative known for his antagonistic statements about homosexuals and his strong views on AIDS testing, had been scheduled by Bush campaign officials to appear for the Republican presidential hopeful at a convention of the American Group Practice Assn. But a Dannemeyer spokesman, Paul Mero, said the congressman canceled the speaking engagement because a complicated AIDS testing bill, which he hopes to amend, is scheduled to be taken up today in the House of Representatives.

However, a spokesperson for the Bush campaign, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that the selection of Dannemeyer to speak at the gathering of more than 700 doctors about Bush’s position on health issues drew strong criticism, particularly from prominent gay Republicans. And the spokesperson acknowledged that there was “grave concern about Dannemeyer’s appearance because he and the vice president differ on the AIDS testing issue.”

Scheduling Conlict

The spokesperson said Dannemeyer did have a scheduling conflict that prevented him from flying to San Diego but added that the congressman’s decision to remain in the capitol “comes as a relief. . . . “

In Dannemeyer’s place, Health and Human Services Undersecretary Donald Newman will address the group practice association. Charles Honaker, a group practice association spokesman, said the group was first notified on Tuesday that Dannemeyer might cancel his appearance. It became official, Honaker said, Thursday afternoon with a phone call from the Bush campaign.

He said he was not aware that any association members had complained about Dannemeyer’s scheduled appearance.

Complaints were abundant, however, among members of ECCO, a gay Republican political group in Orange County. The group’s co-chairperson, Pat Callahan, said “dozens of letters and phone calls” condemning the selection of Dannemeyer were directed at the Bush campaign.

Callahan said Dannemeyer, who was one of the earliest and most prominent conservative activists on AIDS issues, and Bush differ widely on AIDS testing and that Dannemeyer’s appearance on behalf of Bush “would have sent mixed signals throughout the Republican Party.”

Dannemeyer believes the government has been more worried about protecting the privacy of AIDS victims than protecting uninfected people from contracting AIDS. He is currently campaigning for an initiative, Proposition 102, on the statewide ballot in November that would require government officials to make the names of people who test positive for AIDS public.

Though he will not appear today in San Diego, Dannemeyer remains on the Bush campaign’s list of surrogate speakers, Mero said.

The flap over Dannemeyer’s San Diego appearance, Mero said, was created to damage “the congressman’s reputation and credibility. . . . A lot of people are just blowing a lot of smoke over this whole affair.”

The Bush spokesperson confirmed that Dannemeyer may be asked in the future to speak for Bush “on appropriate issues, particularly health-related matters.”