SA - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 12, 1998

NATION/WORLD


Speaker-to-be may
not push impeachment

Seekin-independence

The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - Speaker-to-be Bob Livingston (R-La.)
is talking tough about President Clinton's behavior, but pri-
vately he has suggested he has little interest in pursuing an
impeachment inquiry during his speakership.
With House Republicans seemingly split over whether to
seek impeachment of the president, Livingston has yet to take
an active role in bridging the differences. In fact, knowledge-
able congressional sources said yesterday that Livingston has
not discussed impeachment with
House Judiciary Committee Chair
Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) since he "' no
announced he would seek the
speakership last Friday. see Bob i
In his private conversations with
other members Livingston has also the ISsue .
made it clear that "he is leaving the
whole thing to Hyde one source Lo
said.
But with Republicans on the
Judiciary Committee still anxious to press a confrontation
with the White House, many rank-and-file Republicans are
hoping that Livingston and other GOP leaders will find a way
to avoid that prospect before the new Congress meets in
January. Exactly how is unclear.
"There is a very widespread feeling (among House
Republicans) and amongst much of the leadership that they
want this off the table for the new Congress," said one lead-
ing GOP lawmaker. "It is my clear perception that there is
nothing the new speaker would want more than to start the
next Congress with a clean slate."
"Bob's a pragmatist," Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.) a
close associate of Livingston's, added.
"I think he's going to want to work through things as quick-

ly as possible. You're not going to see Bob moralizing on the
issue or letting the issue divide the House."
With no declared opposition and widespread support,
Livingston is virtually certain to be chosen to be the next
speaker when incoming House Republicans meet next
Wednesday to pick officers and apportion committee assign-
ments for the 106th Congress. Livingston will not receive the
gavel until the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3. Until then,
the House's pending affairs - particularly impeachment --

it going to
ioralizing on
N..
- W.J. "Billy" Tauzin
uisiana Representative

remain at least nominally under out-
going speaker Newt Gingrich's
direction.
Still, Livingston's wishes are
paramount, and at least in public he
has been circumspect about his
intentions. That's in contrast to
Gingrich, who made the scandal a
centerpiece of GOP strategy for the
Nov. 3 midterm election.

On ABC's "This Week" last
Sunday, Livingston seemed to take note of the election
returns last Tuesday, in which public impatience with the
impeachment proceedings appeared to play a role in the
GOP's disappointing performance.
"The American people have certainly indicated in the polls
that they don't see it (the Lewinsky matter) as an impeachable
or dismissible offense," he said.
But on MSNBC's "Imus" radio show yesterday, Livingston
was sharply critical of Clinton, saying "the President of the
United States has a responsibility to the American people to
live by the laws, to obey the laws," according to The Hotline.
"And if it's proven that he did not, he's either going to have
to be dealt with or he should voluntarily recognize that he's
got a problem," Livingston said.

AP PHOTO
Six-year-old Leutrim Hoxha Is dressed in a Kosovo Liberation Army uniform during a rally of Albanian groups near the United
Nations in New York yesterday. Albanians are calling on President Clinton to recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

17 newly elected Republicans are seasoned politicians

Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON - So much for the era of the
Republican citizen-legislator.
Almost without exception, the 17 House
GOP freshmen who begin their orientations
in" Washington today are seasoned politi-
>cians.
That's a far cry from the restaurateurs,
accountants, veterinarians, dairy workers and
vintners who formed the shocktroops of the
Republican revolution in 1994, when about
half the 73-member freshmen class were
novices.
"Everybody said this was the year of incum-
bent. But it was really the year of the pol," said
Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political
analyst.
"The public generally rewards experience in
politics. It's only when they get angry do they

GOP pols show shift in voters 'priorities

deviate;' he explained. "And the voters were a
happy lot this year."
Judging from their records, campaign pro-
nouncements and interviews, the GOP Class of
'98 is dominated by pragmatists with main-
stream agendas. They prefer what one calls
"pocket book issues" over conservative social
controversies or partisan confrontation - a
reflection of Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) the
speaker-apparent.
As Livingston seeks to mediate the raging
ideological struggle between give-no-quarter
conservatives and those with a more conciliato-
ry approach in the GOP-controlled House, the
pragmatism among the GOP newcomers may
allow them to exert an influence on their party's

direction and the public agenda disproportionate
to their numbers or lack of seniority.
Of the 23 Democratic House freshmen, 21
have government service on their resumes. They,
too, may wield considerable power because of
the narrow margin that Republicans hold in the
House: 223-211 (with one independent, who
usually votes with Democrats). That means a
mere swing of a half a dozen votes can spell the
difference between victory or defeat.
A key factor producing the bumper crop of
political veterans among the freshmen are the
term limits recently imposed around the country,
which prompted many career politicians at the
state and local levels to eye Congress for a
change of venue.

"Ironically, term limits were supposed to
bring in revolutionaries and citizen-legislators,"
said Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar
at the American Enterprise Institute.
California's newly elected representatives
vividly underscore the trends among the fresh-
men. Four of the five are veterans of the state
legislature - Republicans Steven Kuykendall
and Gary Miller, and Democrats Mike
Thompson and Grace Napolitano.
The fifth newcomer, Doug Ose of
Sacramento, is a businessperson. But he's not
exactly a novice in the political arena, having
long been involved in local politics.
The GOP freshmen already are showing their
savvy. They held a conference call on Tuesday to

explore common concerns.
"There will be some things we have disagree-
ments on; Kuykendall said . "That's why prag-
matism becomes very important."
He said that politicians who enjoy the greaten
successes are those "who know what their core
beliefs are, know where they want to go - and
know that getting there is not always a straight
line."'
Most of the GOP freshmen have been in touch
with House Majority Leader Dick Armey of
Texas and his two challengers, Reps. Jennifer
Dunn of Washington and Steve Largent of
Oklahoma.
In that spirited race for the No. 2 leadership
post, California Rep. Bill Thomas on yesterda
became the latest key Republican to endor
Armey. Thomas did so after briefly considering
entering the race himself.


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