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- NATION, Page 41American NotesCONGRESSA Break for Ollie North
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- "We are asked to bend the law for someone who broke the
- law." Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin was railing against the proposal,
- which the Senate passed by a 78-to-17 vote last week, to restore
- Oliver North's $23,000 military pension. It was halted after his
- July conviction for destroying Government documents related to
- the Iran-contra scandal.
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- Some Senators objected to passing what amounted to a
- private law for North sponsored by Jesse Helms of North
- Carolina. But Helms was persuaded by Delaware Democrat Joseph
- Biden to expand the bill so that it would apply to all former
- military men convicted of similar crimes. If the House concurs,
- Congress will be favoring government pensions to a select group
- of convicted felons who served in the military. Not that Ollie
- needs the money. He earns an estimated $25,000 a speech.
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