Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Gingrich Urged To End Clinton Probe > WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House Democratic leader charged > Thursday that Speaker Newt Gingrich has abandoned any > pretense of fairness in an investigation of President > Clinton's 1996 campaign and should drop his > involvement. > > Gingrich's recent criticism of the White House and > congressional Democrats ``demeaned the office which he > is privileged to hold,'' Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri > added in remarks on the House floor. > > Gingrich brushed aside Gephardt's comments a short > while later during a speech to a Republican women's > group. ``I don't believe Democrats in America agree > with the Democrats in Washington about covering up > corruption,'' he said. > > The latest clash came as Republicans prepared for a > second attempt to win immunity from prosecution for > four witnesses in the campaign finance investigation > being run by Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind. All Democrats on > the panel voted to block immunity last week, denying > the GOP the two-thirds majority needed. > > Democrats have sharply attacked Burton, who last week > called the president a ``scumbag.'' > > But Gingrich traveled to Indiana Wednesday night for a > political fund-raiser, where he defended Burton. ``I'd > rather stand next to an honest man who uses a clumsy > word than an illegal man who has five sharp spinners,'' > he said. > > The exchange between Gephardt and Gingrich came at a > time when the two parties are beginning work on a > series of issues -- education, drugs, taxes and > spending -- likely to play a major role in the midterm > elections this fall. > > Gingrich allies view his new rhetoric as a way to > energize activists whose votes are critical to > Republican chances in November, when control of the > House is at stake. They say calls to party > organizations are favorable, and there has been a surge > in campaign donations. > > Clinton and some congressional Democrats said politics > were at work. > > The rhetoric of the last few days has ``been about > politics,'' Clinton said. He declined at a news > conference to respond specifically to Gingrich's > allegations, but said, ``Nothing he says about me > personally, nothing, will keep me from working with him > and with other Republicans in the Congress to do > everything I possibly can on every issue before us.'' > > That was a marked departure from comments his > spokesman, Mike McCurry, had made Wednesday, when he > suggested the White House would be unable to work with > the speaker until ``he comes back to his senses.'' > > Some congressional Democrats were more pointed that > Clinton. > > ``Newt Gingrich is running for president. The right > wing is a very important part of his base,'' said Rep. > Barney Frank, D-Mass. Gingrich, he said, is giving > ``verbal compensation'' to those supporters against the > day when the investigations fail to prove any > wrongdoing by the president. > > Gingrich had been muted in his comments about Clinton > for months, including throughout a two-week national > tour on which he promoted his new book. His rhetorical > about-face came after other GOP leaders had begun to > criticize Clinton's behavior, and several sources said > lawmakers returned from a two-week break recently > saying party leaders should be more vocal. > > ``What you have lived through, for 2 1/2 long years, is > the most systematic, deliberate obstruction of justice, > cover-up and effort to avoid the truth we have every > seen in American history,'' he said Tuesday night. > > Gephardt stepped into the well of the House after three > straight days of critical comments by Gingrich, > including a statement Wednesday that the fate of > International Monetary Fund legislation the White House > wants would be linked to administration cooperation > with GOP investigators. > > ``There is more to the rule of law than after-dinner > rhetoric,'' the Democratic leader said. ``The rule of > law requires impartial and competent investigations. It > assumes the speaker will not prejudge the results of > these investigations. It requires, if not charity > toward all, at least an absence of malice.'' > > In a letter to Gingrich, Gephardt urged the speaker > ``to recuse yourself from any further consideration of > matters connected to the inquiry into > campaign-financing irregularities and related > matters.'' At a news conference afterward, Gephardt > said that was a reference to any report that > Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr submits containing > evidence of impeachable offenses by the president. > > As for the campaign investigation itself, Gingrich has > said he will move the immunity vote to a different > committee, where the GOP commands a two-thirds > majority, if Democrats withhold support next week in > Burton's panel. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
