XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1998 02:09:18 UTC XXXXX NEW YORK TIMES EXPLOSION: ILLEGAL CHINESE CAMPAIGN MONEY WAS USED TO GET U.S. TECH After a two-year investigation of Chinese political contributions to the 1996 election, federal authorities have unearthed new evidence that Beijing's efforts were part of a broader campaign to obtain access to American high technology, the NEW YORK TIMES is set to report in Tuesday editions, a prerelease was obtained by the DRUDGE REPORT late Monday afternoon. TIMES hotshots Jeff Gerth, David Johnston and Don Van Natta blow hard in a planned Page One Exclusive that will jolt Washington on the eve of the historic impeachment vote: "Investigators and officials said their new view of China's motivations was based on inference and evidence that includes bank records, intercepted telephone calls and statements by witnesses." "Gerth is completely unloading," one publishing source tells the DRUDGE REPORT. "Huang, Trie, Liu." One of most intriguing new pieces of evidence the TIMES is set to report on involves Charlie Trie, who served on a presidential commission on Asian trade policy. "Trie is said to have met in Beijing with Chinese contacts and asked for $1 million that could be used for political activities in the United States." There is also new information about John Huang, a former Commerce Department official who became a leading fundraiser for the Democratic Party. "Huang worked as a banker in Los Angeles before joining the Clinton Administration. Huang was overheard by government surveillance discussing political donations with a Chinese official at the Los Angeles consulate. Details of his conversation could not be learned. Huang subsequently joined the Commerce Department as a mid-level trade official. [There] Huang obtained at least one secret government report on exports of military-related technology to China, which he kept in his office safe." Developing Late... X X X X X DOLE: CENSURE HIM, AND MAKE HIM SIGN IT! On Tuesday Bob Dole will urge the Senate to pass a tough censure measure that Clinton would have to sign. He suggests that all Congressional action should be complete by Jan. 2... "I believe the suggestion could lead to a fairly broad bipartisan result," Dole will suggest. "There is scarcely anyone who believes that the required 67 senators would vote to convict the president." X X X X X 6 HOURS OF DEBATE Hill sources late Monday described a plan to allow roughly six hours of floor debate on impeachment articles drawn by the Judiciary Committee. Beginning at 10 a.m. EST Thursday, each side would be allotted three hours of debate, divided into small increments to any member who wants to talk. The formal impeachment vote would immediately occur after the debate, around dinner time EST, but well-placed Hill sources suspect that the vote could slip to sometime early Friday. * * * * * C-O-N-F-U-S-I-O-N- The mediascape is littered with polling fallout as Hell Week begins. A remarkable divide exists between "the American public and House Republicans," reports Tuesday's NEW YORK TIMES in a Page One. A divide that "has not budged" even after the House Judiciary Committee voted out impeachment articles against President Clinton. "Overwhelmingly, people do not think Clinton should or will be impeached this week, the latest NEW YORK TIMES/CBS NEWS Poll shows." "But one perceptible shift is that the polls found that in charging ahead toward impeachment, the Republican Party is soiling its image and is being perceived as driven by partisan politics." The NEW YORK TIMES/CBS poll of 653 adults, conducted by telephone on Sunday, reveals that only 24 percent want the House to actually vote to impeach. "Thirty-seven percent of Americans want Congress and Clinton to forge a compromise; another 37 percent want the matter dropped entirely." But wait! ABC NEWS reported late Monday that "most Americans, wearied by months of scandal, say Bill Clinton should give up the fight and resign his office if impeached by the full House." The new ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST poll has support for impeachment rising "from 27 percent Nov. 1, just before Election Day, to 38 percent after the House Judiciary Committee's vote last Friday." ABC/WASH POST polling was conducted by telephone Dec. 12-13 with 1,004 adults. ABC NEWS reports: "That lack of anger if Clinton is removed helps explain why most people would want him to resign rather than drag the nation through a Senate trial." Media see-saw: CBS/NEW YORK TIMES: AMERICANS ANGRY AT REPUBLICANS ABC/WASHINGTON POST: LACK OF ANGER IF BILL CLINTON IS REMOVED Or any combination of the above. ---------------------------------------------------- Filed by Matt Drudge in a bomb shelter Reports are moved when circumstances warrant http://www.drudgereport.com for steaks and breaks (c)DRUDGE REPORT 1998 Not for reproduction without permission of the author
