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Specter
on the
Middle East

ypically, Sen. Arlen
Specter has been an in-
dependent voice when
it comes to the complex
politics of the Middle East.
He has been a fierce critic of the
Palestine Liberation Organiza-
tion; his amendment last summer
tying American aid to the new
Palestinian self-rule government
to Yassir Arafat's compliance with
the promises he made as part of
the peace process was a signifi-
cant irritant to the Rabin gov-
ernment.
But he generally supports the
Clinton administration's peace-
making activities.
"I compliment President Clin-
ton on what he's done — although
I think we could exercise just a lit-
tle more influence with [President
Hafez al-] Assad in Syria," Mr.
Specter said. "And I think the ad-
ministration ought to do more on
§ the nuclear problem with Iran
and Iraq."
I He said that "it's important to
cg open up direct communications
v - - with Iran. Iran is a major threat
Lis in the region, and the United
g States ought to be dealing with
them directly, and letting them
know exactly what our expecta-
tions are."
A similar approach to Saddam
Hussein and Syria's Assad earned
him the ire of some pro-Israel leaders
in the past; characteristically, Mr.
Specter doesn't seem to care that his
position on Iran, the chief sponsor of
Middle East terrorism, could cost him
some Jewish support at the beginning
of a grueling presidential campaign.
He first visited Syria in 1984 and
returned four years later. That was
just after then-Soviet President
Mikhail Gorbachev said that the
USSR would no longer financially
back Syria. ,
"I had a long meeting with Assad,
more than four hours, and then I felt
it was possible to have a peace
process," Mr. Specter said. "I took a
lot of criticism for that — but I think
I was very much ahead of the curve."

T

o

said that the candidate hopes to get a big
boost in the early debates. "He'll shine
during the debates," he said. "He's an ex-
cellent debater, and he's razor sharp on
the issues. That is going to help him get
the national attention he isn't getting right
now."
And his supporters hope that the Re-
publican electorate will choke at the idea
of nominating an ultra-conservative such
as Phil Gramm or Lamar Alexander.
"When Arlen gets to New Hampshire
with eight other Republicans, and seven
of them are anti-choice and on their knees
taking orders from Ralph Reed, things
could happen," said longtime friend Ed
Rosen.
But the intriguing question surround-
ing the Specter candidacy goes beyond the
political strategies and the polling statis-
tics: what makes Arlen run?
Some political insiders suggest that
Mr. Specter, an ambitious man but
also a realist, is really gunning for the
vice presidential nomination; as a
pro-choice Easterner and a Jew, he would
help balance a ticket that will

almost certainly be headed up by
an ultra-conservative Southerner.
"As a presidential contender, I don't see
that he has much of a chance," said Bal-
timorean Howard Friedman. "But he
could be well positioned for a vice presi-
dential run. He has an excellent reputa-
tion as a senator; strong Jewish support
could help propel him to the vice presi-
dential slot."
But the people who know him best
doubt that.
'When he says he's going for the pres-
idency, he means it," said Mr. Feldbaum.
"Going for No. 2 would be inconsistent
with his personality."
And GOP leaders like William Kristol,
the former top aide to Vice President Dan
Quayle and now head of the Project for
the Republican Future, are working hard
to thwart any ticket-balancing that would
dilute the impact of the anti-abortion cru-
sade in the party.
Others suggest that Mr. Specter is seek-
ing a national forum for making the point
that the growing power of the Christian
right ultimately will destroy the party.

"He's said that he's bearing a message
for the party's mainstream about the im-
portance of the 'big tent,' " said Philadel-
phian Gary Erlbaum, a longtime
supporter and Specter fund-raiser. "He's
fighting for a Republican Party that's in-
clusive rather than exclusive. The fact is,
there's a big battle going on in the Re-
publican Party — and it's not surprising
that Arlen is right in the middle of it."
There is also the psychological drive
and ambition of an immigrant's son who
has made it to the pinnacle of American
society — on his own. Arlen Specter, ac-
cording to many friends and associates,
is a man who simply believes he can do
a better job than the other contenders.
And there is his stubborn resistance
to the experts who tell him he can't win.
"A few years ago, Arlen went to the
doctor with a feeling of tightness in his
jaw," said one longtime friend. "The doc-
tor told him not to worry. Arlen refused
to accept that answer. He insisted on an
MRI — and they found a benign tumor.
That episode was a real character lesson;
that's the way this man operates." I I

J.B.

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