MEMORANDUM TO SENATOR DOLE 

DA: July 23, 1995
FR: Alec Vachon
RE: TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH EVAN KEMP 

	Evan Kemp called last week and bitterly complained about your endorsement of the new American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)—and you plans to be attend its kick off at the Old Ebbitt Grill on Tuesday, July 25. In particular, he believes this organization is a front group for the Democratic Part, and , if successful, AAPD will be another group lobbying for handouts form the Federal government- like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

	In our first conversation, Evan said that he and Boyden Gray would never support you for anything if you attended Tuesday’s event. (It seems that no one in the disability community- Democrat or Republican- can never have a conversation without making a non-negotiable demand.) However, after subsequent conversations, Evan cooled down and backed off.

	However, Evan had a point. With some exceptions, the list of AAPD Board candidates reads like a “Who’s Who” of the partisan Democrat or radical membership of the disability community. (Although you and many members of the Senate see disability as nonpartisan, this approach is increasingly less observed by those outside the Senate.) Moreover, the goals and plans for the AAPD seem vague to me- even after discussing these matters with Paul Hearne.
Evan also had a larger point- the need for Republicans to define themselves on disability policy. Evan’s specific issue was that a history of alcoholism should not be regarded as a disability- but that issue is too narrow as a world view. But there is surely a lone somewhere between Democrats and Republicans on disability policy.

	Lastly, Evan was concerned about next year’s elections. As I have written you, although the disabled are only a small fraction of voters, Bush was competitive for the disability vote in ’88, but ignored it in ’92. Evan is concerned that this history not be repeated.