Cream of the Crop 20/Cream of the Crop 20 (Terry Blount) (1996).iso/faq/96snap16.zip/96SNAP16.TXT

Text File | 1996-06-02 | 156KB | 2,945 lines

==================================================================
Published by INEWS. Freely distributable if unaltered and complete.
See end of document for info on free E-mail trial of INEWS.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS E-WIRE SERVICE All rights reserved. For
information on receiving a free trial subscription to INEWS
World News Daily via E-mail send E-mail to [e-mail]
WORLD WIDE WEB: http://members.aol.com/inewscirc/inews.html
==================================================================

DISTRIBUTE FREELY

                        '96 ELECTION SNAPSHOT
                               VOL.1 #16


SUBSCRIPTION INFO/GENERAL INFO - [e-mail]
TO REACH EDITOR ---------------- [e-mail]


CONTENTS:
   CAMPAIGN '96 STATUS REPORT
   CLINTON WHITEWATER ASSOCIATES CONVICTION DAMAGE CONTROL CAMPAIGN
   U.S. OPINION ROUNDUP: THE WHITEWATER VERDICT
   WHITEWATER SPILLOVER
   U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA DEFENDS IRANIAN ARMS TO BOSNIA
   HOUSE PUTS OFF TRAVELGATE CONTEMPT VOTE
   WHITEWATER TRIAL RESULTS WILL BE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN ISSUE
   TRADE: DOLE, CLINTON DIFFERENCES MORE NUANCE THAN SUBSTANCE
   AFRICAN AMERICANS BECOMING MORE CONSERVATIVE, STUDY SHOWS
   BESHEAR WINS DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINATION IN KENTUCKY
   SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE MULTIPLE PARTY NOMINATION CASE
   HISPANICS MAY VOTE DEMOCRATIC TO PROTEST IMMIGRANT BASHING
   CAMPAIGN TRAIL TIDBITS:
   JOURNALISTIC JUXTAPOSITIONS
   PUNDIT'S PEARLS
   EDITORIAL EXCERPTS
   CLINTON RESPONSE TO ARKANSAS "WHITEWATER" TRIAL
   CLINTON ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE MILITARY
   CLINTON ACCUSED OF "STEALING" DOLE'S CAMPAIGN ISSUES
   ATTENTION IN ARKANSAS PRIMARY FOCUSES ON U.S. SENATE RACE
   REPORTS CONFLICT ON LENGTH OF SERVICE FOR DOLE SUCCESSOR
   DOLE WELFARE REFORM PROMISES
   DOLE SAYS SENATE WILL VOTE AGAIN ON BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT
   CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
   DOLE SAYS HE WOULD END CASTRO'S REIGN IN CUBA
   POLITICIANS LAY-OUT POSITIONS FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
   WORLD PRESS: U.S. POLITICS
   WORLD PRESS: DOLE RESIGNATION: 'STROKE OF GENIUS OR DESPERATE ACT'?
   FREE OFFER FROM PUBLISHER
   =========================
   ---------------
   CAMPAIGN '96 STATUS REPORT

   JIM MALONE
   WASHINGTON

   The potential political fallout from the Whitewater affair
involving the president and Mrs. Clinton's business dealings in
Arkansas is dominating U.S. political news this week.
   The guilty verdicts delivered in an Arkansas courtroom against
(Arkansas) Governor Jim guy tucker and former Clinton business
partners Jim and Susan McDougal are already having a political
impact in Washington.
   For the first time in weeks the White House is having to deal
with some bad political news. The Whitewater affair, which
involves allegations of improper financial activities in Arkansas
before Bill Clinton became president, continues to cast a shadow
over his re-election hopes. In fact, Republicans are eager to
make it a major issue in the presidential election campaign.
   Fred Barnes is the editor of the weekly standard magazine. He
says this week's fraud and conspiracy convictions in Arkansas
give new momentum to the Whitewater investigations being
conducted by independent counsel Kenneth Starr and separate
committees in the House and Senate:
   "But if there are hearings (on Whitewater) which all of a
sudden get press attention in Washington in a way that Senator
D'Amato's hearings (senate Whitewater committee) did not in the
past. And if there is a trial in Arkansas that is involved
directly with allegations (of illegal contributions to) a Clinton
campaign (while he was governor). You remember that the trial
just completed in Little Rock was not directly about Bill
Clinton. If you have those things and the press finally decides
that this is a big issue, then the public may sit up and take
notice."
   The Senate Whitewater committee is expected to wrap up its
probe next month and issue a report which could be highly
critical of the White House. In addition, another trial will
begin in Arkansas next month involving two men accused of
diverting bank funds to then-Governor Bill Clinton's re-election
campaign in 1990 and hiding the transactions from bank
regulators.
   But most analysts believe in the absence of any new serious
allegations of wrongdoing by the president or first lady, the
Whitewater affair will not do any major political damage to the
administration. But many political analysts also believe it will
remain an issue in the presidential campaign.
   Alan Lichtman is a professor of government at the American
University in Washington. He says the uncertainty about where the
Whitewater investigation is headed now is a source of concern for
some of the president's supporters in the Democratic Party:
   "Based on the situation in the country, foreign policy,
relative tranquility at home, a good economy, bill Clinton is
going to win this presidential election. The last thing he needs
if for serious charges to be leveled by a newly prestigious
special prosecutor against himself or Hillary Clinton. I still
think that an indictment of the president or an indictment of
Hillary Clinton is most unlikely. But if there is a trail to be
pursued, I think the special prosecutor, who remember whatever
his role now, was a highly partisan Republican, will be
emboldened to follow that trail."
   White House aides went to great lengths this past week to
point out the president was not directly involved in the fraud
and conspiracy case against the McDougals and Governor Tucker.
The president did give videotaped testimony on behalf of the
defense in the case and White House aides were also eager to
point out the vast majority of jurors in the case said they found
his testimony was credible, though not crucial to their verdicts.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   CLINTON WHITEWATER ASSOCIATES CONVICTION DAMAGE CONTROL CAMPAIGN

   DAVID BORGIDA
   WHITE HOUSE

   The Clinton White House is in the process of trying to limit
any political damage to the president's re-election bid following
the felony convictions Tuesday of two former business associates
in the failed 1980's Whitewater land deal. Arkansas Governor Jim
Guy Tucker, also convicted in the case, has announced he will
resign by July fifteenth.
   Not long after the verdicts were announced in a little rock,
Arkansas, courtroom Tuesday, the president appeared before
reporters here to say he felt badly for those convicted of fraud
and conspiracy but that he wants to move ahead. Wednesday, he
said nothing publicly about the case, and his spokesman, Mike
McCurry, was unusually succinct in answering reporter's
questions.
   Mr. McCurry did make the case that the president was never
charged with any wrongdoing, that he was simply a defense
witness, and that some jurors in the case found the president's
videotaped testimony credible.
   Officials here even released to reporters some of the public
comments jurors had already made.
   But during his daily briefing, spokesman McCurry was limiting
his commentary. What about a Republican charge the verdicts
reflect a cover-up of possible presidential wrongdoing?:
   "It's not surprising that some Republicans are attempting to
make partisan political gain out of the jury verdict."
   And he was asked, did the president talk to anyone at the
White House about the verdicts, his attorneys, for example. No,
said Mr. McCurry, the president did not talk to anyone here about
it. He was too busy.
   But Mr. McCurry did note the president spoke late Tuesday with
governor tucker. Why? He was asked:
   "The president thought it would be appropriate to give him a
call."
   The two have been friends, said Mr. McCurry, and the president
wanted to say he was sorry about the verdicts and that the
governor decided to resign. Mr. Tucker succeeded Bill Clinton as
Arkansas governor.
   Mr. McCurry was at his most restrained Wednesday when asked:
   What is your assessment of what political impact this will
have?
   Answer, "I don't have one"
   Before the verdicts were made public Tuesday, the Clinton
White House was confident it had put the Whitewater issue to
rest. The president and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton have
denied any wrongdoing and no documents have surfaced to
contradict that. They have said the land deal was a failed
investment, and nothing else.
   But now, with Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr
vowing to move forward with his investigation, and the president
to testify in another case next month that involves funding of
his 1990 gubernatorial campaign, the so-called "character" issue
that Republicans have highlighted could once again hover over the
president's re-election bid.
   President Clinton's re-election campaign is going well, he is
well ahead of presumptive Republican nominee Bob Dole in public
opinion polls. Clinton officials are clearly determined to stop
the character issue from gaining any momentum with the August
National Party political conventions approaching.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   U.S. OPINION ROUNDUP: THE WHITEWATER VERDICT

   ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
   WASHINGTON

   President Bill Clinton is considered by some U.S. news media
to be politically wounded by the first convictions of anyone
involved in the Whitewater affair. The question in many
editorials is "how much?"
   On Tuesday, a federal jury reached a verdict of guilty on
numerous counts of fraud and other crimes against the sitting
governor of Arkansas, Jim guy Tucker, an ally of the president's,
and Mr. Clinton's two former Little Rock, business partners,
James McDougal and his ex-wife, susan.
   Mr. McDougal owned the now-defunct, and much-investigated
Madison guaranty savings and loan, which is thought to have
improperly loaned money to one of Mr. Clinton's campaigns for
governor. The savings and loan also was involved in financing the
ill-fated real estate development that has come to be known as
Whitewater, and has expanded to include a list of alleged
misdeeds by Clinton associates.
   The convictions of Governor Tucker, the politician who
replaced Mr. Clinton as Arkansas's chief executive, and the
McDougals, long-time family friends of Bill and Hillary Clinton
and former financial partners, have been the week's top editorial
fixture. The defendants were found guilty of a total of 24 counts
of conspiracy and various kinds of fraud in connection with
financial dealings that did not directly affect the president.
Mr. Clinton was called to testify in the trial to aid the
McDougal's defense, and did so with videotaped testimony. It was
photographed in Washington, and so far, not released to the
public.
   Most papers agree that this first Whitewater conviction has
damaged the president's credibility, although he was never
charged with any misdeed. But various papers disagree as to how
the trial's outcome will affect his re-election chances.
   The Chicago Tribune, which has some concerns about the source
of this week's convictions, the special prosecutor:
   "Just when it looked like he was out of the rapids, bill
Clinton suddenly is back up to his political neck in Whitewater.
The convictions of his former Whitewater partners have given new
life to what had seemed a dying issue. Whether or not the
investigation ultimately implicates the president, it most
assuredly will dog ["follow" or possibly, "hinder"] his campaign
for re-election whether Whitewater, stemming from events that
occurred long before bill Clinton became president, is the sort
of case that merits an independent counsel [independent from the
U.S. Justice Department, but with FBI support and subpoena power]
is a question that continues to trouble us. that extraordinary
measure ought to be reserved for extraordinary cases, those in
which the constitutional order is threatened by executive
wrongdoing."
   Turning to another Midwestern daily, the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, warns its readers not to draw unwarranted
conclusions from the convictions, as the paper fears, many
Republicans will attempt to do:
   "President Bill Clinton's enemies are trying mightily to make
the guilty verdicts in Little Rock stick to him, but the facts
don't support them.  It may be that the Clintons broke laws in
the 1980s, when he was governor however, the guilty verdicts in
little rock do not move the special prosecutor or the Senate
Whitewater committee a single step closer to establishing either
of those possibilities."
   In the southwest, Utah's Salt Lake [City] Tribune reacted to
the verdicts with a question:
   "What should the American people conclude about their
president from the guilty verdicts in the Whitewater case? Not
much. Rather, they should await further developments in related
investigations that bear directly on allegations of wrongdoing by
president Clinton.  Because of the trial's outcome, voters will
hear a good deal more about Whitewater during the presidential
campaign. It remains an open question, however, whether Bill
Clinton is himself guilty of any illegal activity that would call
into question his fitness to serve another four years."
   Nearby, the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, says the issue of
the president's character is now a central question before the
electorate:
   "The issue of Bill Clinton's character returns with a
vengeance [literally with a great deal of force] after an
Arkansas jury convicted his former associates on 24 felonies. His
enemies will milk [extract all possible value from] this to the
maximum, as Democrats would do if Bob Dole were even peripherally
associated with a corrupt scheme.  When Bill Clinton ran for
office, he faced significant questions about his character... Now
the voters have a full presidential term by which to judge [Mr.]
Clinton. Independent counsel Kenneth Starr still hasn't produced
evidence of Clinton wrongdoing, nor has he filed any charges
against [the president]."
   In Northern California, the San Francisco Chronicle says in
part:
   "The conclusion of the trial marks the beginning of what is
likely to be an extended season of grief for [Mr.] Clinton, his
wife and former Arkansas allies. The Whitewater-related trials,
hearings and probes are certain to keep the limelight on
[president] Clinton and his character flaws through the November
election. It looks like a long, hot summer for the Clintons."
   The city's other daily, the San Francisco examiner, suggests
the verdicts:
   "...Carry two portents of trouble for the president. The
verdicts give momentum to the wide-ranging investigation, and
they suggest the jury didn't buy [believe] [president] Clinton's
testimony as a star [important] witness for the defense."
   Lastly, from northern New England, the Portland [Maine] Press
Herald warns readers, in part:
   "The verdicts, coming after eight days of jury deliberation,
cannot be airily dismissed. The Clintons would be mistaken to
try. Beyond the beltway [inside Washington] world of Republican
charges and White House spin [favorable interpretation] exists a
public impressed by [independent prosecutor] careful preparation
of fraud violations involving the three on trial. The special
prosecutor should aggressively continue his 30-month-old
investigation, wherever it leads."
   The Miami Herald reacts:
   "Putting its best spin [interpretation of the news] on a bad
day for the president, the White House again is reminding
everyone that he was only a witness, not a defendant. That is
certainly true. But Whitewater, a moniker [nickname] no longer
applied just to a real-estate development and banking scandal,
roils anew. The Clintons have been soaked through and through
with the mud of scandal. Some of it is sure to stick on election
day."
   In Georgia, the Atlanta Constitution titles its lead Thursday
editorial "Whitewater Swirls To Surface." The paper says the case
has been so confusing, most people couldn't follow it, and paid
little attention, until now:
   "...For those not predisposed to either love or hate the
Clintons, it was impossible to reach a conclusion about the case
based on the facts. It's now certain we won't have all the facts
about the case by November, when voters will have to make a
decision based in part on their assessment of the president's
guilt or innocence.  On June 17th, a trial begins in Little Rock
involving allegations of campaign-related corruption that more
directly involve [Mr.] Clinton. If [independent counsel Kenneth]
Starr wins convictions in that case, the political damage to
[president] Clinton may threaten his re-election. This week,
Whitewater became an issue of pressing national importance."
   The Boston Globe warns readers:
   "[President] Clinton's tangential connection to the case
imposes no conclusion about his character as a public official
nor about the political effects of the disparate cases commonly
linked under the rubric of Whitewater. But two pending cases have
the potential to cause more direct political damage.  He could be
innocent of any crime and still be shown to have abused the power
and influence of his positions as governor in Arkansas and
president in Washington."
   The Philadelphia Inquirer adds that Tuesday's little rock
verdict only means that:
   "It will require a lot more work by the special counsel to get
at the truth regarding the Clintons' conduct in the Whitewater
real-estate deal, the financing of Mr. Clinton's gubernatorial
campaigns, and other matters."
   While on the west coast, Thursday's Los Angeles Times notes:
   "The Arkansas verdicts inevitably will cast a shadow over the
president's campaign image. Certainly eager Republican campaign
organizers intend to use Whitewater, whatever the president's
involvement, as a vehicle for raising anew questions about his
character and credibility. whether voters will begin paying
closer attention probably depends on what substantive evidence
[Mr.] Starr's dogged investigation is able to lay before the
public."
   On Long Island, Newsday writes:
   "Whatever this [the convictions] might say about the
McDougals, [james and susan, the Clinton's former business
partners] it doesn't even rise to the level of a circumstantial
case against bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton. But the political
arena doesn't require real evidence to support an accusation;
innuendo and speculation are often more than enough... That may
not be fair, but it shouldn't surprise anyone with a rudimentary
knowledge of American politics..."
  In its leadeditorial today, the Wall Street Journal has this
  comment about the trial:
   "As the Whitewater trial in Arkansas ran its lengthy course,
we kept reading that it came down to the word of David hale, a
convicted felon against Bill Clinton, president of the United
States. The jury's verdict is now in: It believed Mr. Hale."
   The Wall Street Journal also calls for the Senate Whitewater
committee to subpoena Mr. Hale as a witness and grant him
complete immunity from prosecution for his testimony. The
Washington Post takes a very different view of the verdict:
   "Plainly the shadow of this judgment falls beyond little rock.
But it needs to be clearly understood that those who were found
guilty of crimes were the defendants, and no one else: President
Clinton was not on trial nor is it clear that in reaching their
verdict the jurors paid particular heed to, or passed judgment
on, the president's videotaped testimony....."
   The New York Times, is pleased that after three years of all
manner of investigations, some answers are finally coming out of
the Whitewater affair:
   "At last the whole affair is moving in the direction of
clarity rather than further confusion. The voters will be able to
sort out what they think of Mr. Clinton and the other players
once the legal record is established through proper investigation
public trial and reasoned verdict like that rendered yesterday by
a jury that took its duties very seriously."
   In summing up, the Washington Times suggests:
   "...After dismissing the serious questions raised by their
business, tax and political dealings as figments of the
Republican imagination, and after trying to tar any and all
questioners with a partisan brush, Bill and Hillary Clinton are
faced with the plain and naked fact that their good friends and
business partners, and one of their longtime political allies,
have been found guilty of fraud and conspiracy. It just doesn't
look good for the first couple."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   WHITEWATER SPILLOVER

   NEAL LAVON
   WASHINGTON

   The guilty verdicts Tuesday in the federal fraud and
conspiracy trial in Arkansas have reverberated all the way to
Washington, D.C. Two business associates of President Clinton and
his successor as Arkansas governor could face prison terms of
more than 100 years and fines of up to about five million
dollars.
   But it is the effect of the verdicts on the 1996 presidential
race that may be the most critical factor in yesterday's outcome.
   James McDougal, his ex-wife susan, and the current governor of
Arkansas, Jim Guy Tucker, were all found guilty by an Arkansas
jury of a total of 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy in a series
of financial dealings involving loans and real estate
transactions.
   One of the chief prosecution witnesses, a former judge and
convicted felon named David hale, has placed President Clinton at
the center of a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government of
$300,000 while serving as governor of Arkansas. The president, a
witness for the defense in the trial, vehemently denies the
charges.
   The verdicts were seen as vindication for special prosecutor
Kenneth Starr who is investigating the complex web of real
estate, financial and political developments which have come to
be known as Whitewater. The name stems from the real estate
project in Arkansas in which the McDougals and the Clintons were
partners before the president won election to the White House in
1992.
   Mr. Starr, a Republican, was criticized by supporters of the
president for conducting an investigation they felt was too
partisan and rife with conflicts of interest. Most legal
observers thought those criticisms would be silenced by Tuesday's
verdict.
   Fred Barnes, executive editor of the Weekly Standard magazine,
says the results in the trial mean that Whitewater will remain as
an issue in the 1996 presidential election:
   "The White House had hoped that Whitewater would go away,
would not be an issue. That the special prosecutor, Kenneth
Starr, would be discredited by losing the case. Instead, he won
three convictions and now there will be tremendous attention on
the trial in a few weeks involving allegations that money was
funneled illegally into Clinton's 1990 governor's campaign in
Arkansas and then on further hearings in Congress.
   So this really does revive the issue and means that Whitewater
will with us right through the presidential campaign and the
presidential election in November."
   While the verdicts this week did not directly affect the
president, what unfolds over the course of special prosecutor
Starr's Whitewater investigation could impact on his chances for
re-election. But Allan Lichtman, professor of history at the
American University in Washington, says even if that happens, the
president has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from
adversity:
   "Bill Clinton seems to prove the truth of what the poet Emily
dickinson said, which is, 'a wounded deer leaps the highest'.
Continually, Bill Clinton has shown that he can come back from
adversity. And certainly, the wound suffered from just these
verdicts alone, is far from a mortal wound. However, the special
prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, could now be emboldened to try and
inflict a mortal wound by going after the president or the first
lady, if the evidence warrants it."
   Whitewater could become the major campaign issue, Professor
Lichtman believes, if the investigation targets major figures in
the Clinton Administration. But if not, he notes, Whitewater
could fade away in the face of more pressing concerns:
   "People may not understand, and shouldn't even try, all the
details of the so-called Whitewater affair. But they understand
indictment, they understand fraud. And if this does move up the
ladder (target high level officials), it will dominate the
presidential campaign. It may not. It may not go any higher, in
which case, it will be an issue like the Iran-Contra affair in
1988 that fades away."
   If the Republicans do choose to make Whitewater the principal
issue in their presidential campaign, the Weekly Standard's Fred
Barnes thinks that may not be enough to carry the party to
victory in November:
   "The public now thinks that Whitewater is a minor issue that
reflects badly on the president, but it's not something on which
they want to decide the presidential campaign.
   "If the Republicans blow it out of proportion that could cause
problems, particularly if the Dole campaign decides they want to
rely entirely on the character issue and then not flesh out an
agenda of issues on which they offer voters a better reason for
not voting for Bill Clinton. So, if they rely too much on
Whitewater, they're going to wind up having it backfire on them."
   The Whitewater investigation will continue with a trial next
month of two Arkansas bankers accused of lying to obtain bank
funds which then went to Governor Clinton's gubernatorial
campaign, and trying to conceal money from the Internal Revenue
Service, the federal government's tax collecting agency.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA DEFENDS IRANIAN ARMS TO BOSNIA

   DAVID SWAN
   SENATE

   The U.S. ambassador to Croatia has defended Washington's
decision to let Iranian weapons pass through Croatia to the
Bosnian government. Among other things, the envoy says Iran has
subsequently lost influence in the Balkans instead of gaining it.
   Echoing other officials, Ambassador Peter Galbraith told
Congress the decision was not easy. He called Iran an
international menace whose terrorists could have threatened his
own mission in Zagreb.
   But the ambassador says there was no other way to keep Bosnian
Serbs from taking more land and more cities, with heavy loss of
life. He sought to counter charges the policy opened the door for
Iran to move into the region:
   "It was the war, not the arms pipeline, that gave the Iranians
the opportunity to fish in troubled Balkan waters."
   Mr. Galbraith says the pipeline did not start with the United
States. When Croatian officials asked him about the matter, he
replied he had no instructions and told them to pay attention to
what he did not say, meaning Washington would not object.
   The Clinton Administration argues the plan succeeded. The
ambassador says it had what he calls the perverse effect of
shrinking Iranian influence in the long run:
   "It enabled the Bosnians to defend themselves, to survive, and
then, in conjunction with the Croatians to roll back some of the
Serb gains, thus paving the way to the Dayton (peace)
agreements."
   But Republicans are unconvinced, saying Iran could and should
have been kept out of the arms traffic. Congressman Henry Hyde
quoted the State Department's own report on global terrorism:
   "Iran again was the most active state sponsor of terrorism in
1993 and was implicated in terrorist attacks in Italy, Turkey and
Pakistan. Iran still surveills (spies on) U.S. missions and
personnel. Tehran's policymakers view terrorism as a valid tool
to accomplish their political objectives."
   The Republican-led Congress plans an extensive investigation
of the matter. While they may not be able to change Bosnian
policy, the opposition lawmakers are determined to put the issue
under an election-year spotlight.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   HOUSE PUTS OFF TRAVELGATE CONTEMPT VOTE

   DAVID SWAN
   SENATE

   American lawmakers have put off a vote to hold the White House
in contempt of Congress, in connection with the dispute called
"Travelgate." The case involves the firing of several White House
travel office employees by the Clinton Administration in 1993.
   The House of Representatives has at least temporarily put
aside a criminal contempt citation against three current and
former presidential aides. The action came after the White House
turned over a box of documents on "Travelgate," along with a list
of other papers being held back on the grounds they are
privileged.
   Republican Congressman William Clinger, chairman of a House
investigating committee, says this is a sign of progress:
   "Mr. Speaker, I would consider this the beginning of a victory
for the House because it is, we are reasserting the rights of the
House to have access to documents."
   Republicans charge the White House improperly fired the travel
office staff, then tried to cover up the role of first lady
Hillary Rodham Clinton. The administration maintains it did
nothing wrong.
   The contempt resolution was not expected to put anyone in
jail, but could have been politically damaging. The White House
is already trying to cope with fallout from the Whitewater trial,
in which three of the president's associates were convicted of
fraud.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   WHITEWATER TRIAL RESULTS WILL BE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN ISSUE
   By Stuart Gorin

   The Whitewater fraud-and-conspiracy trial in Arkansas is going
to be an issue in the 1996 U.S. presidential race because those
convicted May 28 are friends of President Clinton and the
president appeared as a witness on their behalf.
   The jury found Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, who was
Clinton's successor, and James and Susan McDougal guilty of bank
and/or mail fraud in real estate development schemes that helped
destroy a savings and loan association owned by McDougal.
   In the 1980s, the Clintons and the McDougals participated in a
failed real estate development corporation called Whitewater,
which was not part of this case but which has been under
investigation for 30 months. Because of the association, the
jury's decision exacerbates a continuing source of political
embarrassment for the president.
   Clinton said after the results were announced that he felt
"very sorry" for his friends but that the jury tried to make a
good decision and "we should all accept that."
   During the trial, a prosecution witness testified that
Clinton, who was then governor of Arkansas, asked him to approve
an illegal loan to Susan McDougal and that part of it went into a
Whitewater account. In videotaped testimony presented to the
court, Clinton heatedly denied the charge.
   Noting that the verdicts by themselves do not redefine the
presidential race, the Washington Post said they nevertheless
"keep alive gnawing questions that have plagued Clinton since the
Whitewater case first unfolded and provide Republicans with a
fresh opportunity to press the public to make character and
credibility central issues this fall."
   Republican activists said the decision would give a needed
shot of adrenalin to Bob Dole's lackluster presidential campaign.
Dole himself is not expected to say the word "Whitewater" while
campaigning, but one of his advisers said "there will be plenty
of other people around to do that" for him.
   According to political analyst Larry Sabato of the University
of Virginia, the verdicts would have "little impact" on the
campaign, however, because voters who will base their judgments
on Clinton's Whitewater dealings are "already in the Republican
camp." Sabato added, however, that the verdicts will "encourage"
the media and the public to pay more attention to the further
investigations of Whitewater.
   Attempting to show that the convictions did not damage
Clinton, White House officials released quotes from jurors who
said they found the president's testimony credible but irrelevant
to the charges, and that their decision was based on other
testimony and extensive documentation.
   But Clinton's political advisers conceded that the verdicts
would be more fuel for the Republicans in their campaign to
question the president's character. This was already underway as
both sides recently unveiled new television ads focusing on the
character issue.
   The Republicans' ad, issued by the Republican National
Committee, accused Clinton of trying to avoid a sexual harassment
lawsuit that has been filed against him by "claiming he is on
active military duty." The Democratic ad, paid for by the
Clinton-Gore reelection committee, called Dole a "quitter" for
resigning from the Senate and leaving behind "the gridlock he
helped to create."
   Last week, clashing over the abortion issue, Dole accused
Clinton of "a lack of vision and moral direction" for his veto of
the late-term abortion bill. The Democratic response was
generated by a "rapid response" strategy. Even before Dole left
the building where he made his remarks -- a hotel in Philadelphia
-- the White House beeped reporters to react to the speech. And
Clinton, saying he is "always a little skeptical when politicians
piously proclaim their morality," charged that Dole is trying to
divide Americans for political advantage.
   The Washington Post said the eruption of personal attacks
"offered a clear signal to voters that the coming presidential
campaign may turn out to be one of the nastiest and most negative
in history."
   Added the Chicago Tribune, while each candidate "will try to
claim the moral high ground" in the campaign, the "battle over
values could nurture a climate in which a third-party candidate
would flourish." This would be especially true, the newspaper
said, "if voters are turned off by shrill, negative attacks of
both major contenders."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   TRADE: DOLE, CLINTON DIFFERENCES MORE NUANCE THAN SUBSTANCE
   By Jon Schaffer

   Forget the recent Bob Dole presidential campaign rhetoric
about President Clinton's failed trade policy in Asia, concerns
over the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American
Free Trade Agreement, say long-time trade analysts.
   "My guess is that if Dole is elected, he would probably follow
many of the themes that Clinton has followed," says Gary
Hufbauer, a senior fellow with the Institute for International
Economics. "It would be more a matter of nuances in timing and
priorities rather than any change in direction."
   With Dole "you would not find much change with what I believe
is the misguided drive of the United States in ever narrower,
ever more precise, reciprocity," says Claude Barfield, resident
scholar with the American Enterprise Institute. "What is new with
Clinton is the policy imperative of results-oriented trade
policy."
   "Bill Clinton and Bob Dole are both managed traders," says
Edward Hudgins, director of regulatory studies at the
conservative-leaning CATO Institute. "Bill Clinton would prefer
to be a managed trader by getting together with other statists
and divvying up the markets. Dole would probably be more of a
unilaterally bad managed trader, where he would have the United
States sort of strike out on its own."
   The three trade experts don't expect trade to be a major issue
during the remaining five months of the presidential campaign.
   Both candidates supported the Uruguay Round global trade
accord, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and
most-favored-nation (MFN) trade treatment for China, they note.
And both, at times, have supported voluntary agreements calling
on specific nations to limit exports of specific goods to the
United States. Both candidates like to beat up on Japanese trade
policy because it plays to a U.S. domestic audience, the analysts
say. With protectionists like failed presidential candidate Pat
Buchanan in the Republican Party, says Hudgins, Dole may even be
tougher on Japan because "these are the kinds of bones he is
going to throw to those people."
   The analysts say that Clinton, during the campaign, is
expected to come out charging on his trade accomplishments. He
will point to NAFTA and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum, and urge moving forward on the Free Trade Agreement
with the Americas (FTAA) in 1997, they say. And Clinton will
point to successes in opening markets abroad and on raising
exports, which economists argue produce more stable and
higher-paying jobs in the United States.
   Where Dole may try to distance himself from Clinton is by
urging a wait-and-see attitude on many of these regional trade
measures, they say. Dole "certainly wants to have more time to
assess the impact," Hufbauer says. "So he would not be at this
stage so enthusiastic about commending what has been achieved or
going forward in the same direction that Clinton has said."
   Hufbauer also suggests that Dole might take a different
regional focus than the president. Whereas the Clinton
administration has taken a more cautious approach to a free trade
agreement with Europe, Dole might seek to move more aggressively,
Hufbauer says. Why Europe and not Asia or Latin America, he says,
is that when one talks about going forward with the FTAA or APEC,
it suggests linking the U.S. economy more closely with economies
that generally have much lower wages than the United States.
   "And that creates a specter of fear, I would say an irrational
fear," of job losses in the United States, he says.
   Barfield agrees that Dole's cautious approach to regional
trade groups makes it unlikely that a Dole administration would
produce any new trade initiatives during its first year.
   "I don't think Dole would pull us out of APEC or tell the
South Americans we're not interested in free trade," Barfield
says. "What he might do is slow down." Hudgins says that Dole
can't afford to ignore Asia because of the sharp expansion of
trade with the region.
   "Dole is going to be susceptible to business inputs and
pressure and we have a lot of growing markets over there and a
lot of business will be urging him to help out on the Pacific
side and maybe even in this hemisphere," says Hudgins.
   Though differences in the candidates may not be great,
Barfield says that differences between the parties they represent
are significant. Despite the obviously protectionist rhetoric of
Pat Buchanan, the Republican party "is a party for more open
markets. It is much more internationalist economically," says
Barfield. The Democratic Party, he says, is still dominated in
the House of Representatives by Missouri Congressman Richard
Gephardt, a "neo-protectionist" who talks about trade sanctions
against countries maintaining too large a trade surplus vis-a-vis
the United States.
   But Barfield remains worried about Dole's "great mischief"
with the World Trade Organization. Dole is threatening to block a
bill implementing a global deal to limit shipbuilding subsidies
unless the Senate approves his bill creating a commission to
review WTO dispute panel decisions. Dole had first proposed the
commission in 1994, demanding Clinton administration support for
it in return for his support of the Uruguay Round accord.
   Whoever is president, pressure is building for a new global
round of trade negotiations under the WTO, says Barfield. The
Clinton administration has said that it doesn't want anything now
to disturb its trade agenda and a new round is premature, says
Barfield. "They think that they have a record that is easily
defendable and that Dole doesn't have any major openings and I
think they are right."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   AFRICAN AMERICANS BECOMING MORE CONSERVATIVE, STUDY SHOWS
   By David Pitts

   Polling in recent years indicates a trend toward conservative
viewpoints among African Americans. But it is not yet clear
whether changing attitudes will translate into a more
conservative voting pattern that could benefit the Republican
Party, experts say.
   African Americans have voted for the Democratic Party in
overwhelming numbers since 1936 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt
was re-elected president in a landslide. Before Roosevelt, blacks
voted primarily for the Republican Party because President
Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves, was a Republican.
   The announcement by Colin Powell, the widely-respected former
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African
American to hold that post, that he is a Republican, has given
added respect to the idea of blacks voting Republican, according
to some observers, as has the presidential candidacy of Alan
Keyes, an African American former statesman.
   In addition, observers point to the increasing salience of
conservative ideas in the black community. African-American
conservative commentators and thinkers, such as Shelby Steele and
Thomas Sowell, have been gaining influence in recent years and
their ideas have been the subject of considerable debate.
   Black conservative organizations aligned with the Republican
Party also have sprouted, the most recent of which is BAMPAC, a
political action committee (PAC). It has raised almost one
million dollars in behalf of African American conservative
candidates, according to the New York Times.
   BAMPAC was created by Keyes and was a leading contributor to
the campaign of J.C. Watts, an African-American Republican who
won a seat in Congress from Oklahoma in 1994 and who has become a
leading spokesman for black conservatives. There is currently
only one other black Republican in Congress, Gary Franks, of
Connecticut, also a conservative.
   Conservative black candidates also are contacting the black
business community directly, which, according to Watts and
others, has been untapped until recently. "It definitely needs to
be explored," says Watts. However, black businesses run the gamut
from those with conservative leanings to those which support
liberal causes.
   There may be enough money for both sides of the black
political spectrum, according to David Bositis, senior political
researcher at the Joint Center for Political Studies, the
nation's leading African-American think tank.
   Bositis conducted a study three years ago, which is widely
credited with discovering a growing conservative trend in
attitudes among black voters. He says his study, which was
co-sponsored by the Joint Center and Home Box Office, revealed
that as many as one-third of African Americans now identify
themselves as conservatives, contrary to the conventional wisdom
that almost all blacks are liberal. Polling since then has found
a similar trend. Bositis cautions, however, that the data can be
misleading.
   "First, voters are quite capable of holding both liberal and
conservative attitudes, depending on the issue," Bositis remarks.
"The fact that one-third of blacks identify themselves as
conservative does not mean they are conservative on all issues.
In fact, a breakdown of the data indicates that, on most issues,
even blacks who identify themselves as conservatives are, in
fact, still mostly liberal," he adds.
   In addition, Bositis says that attitudes don't automatically
"translate into voting behavior. An individual may identify
himself as conservative, but vote for a liberal candidate.
Clearly, one-third of blacks are not voting conservative, even
though they say they are conservative."
   Results in recent elections support Bositis' conclusions. In
presidential elections, African Americans have consistently and
overwhelmingly voted for the more liberal candidate -- in all
cases, in recent history, the Democratic candidate.
   The Congressional Research Service, an arm of the Library of
Congress, reports that in 1976, 83 percent of blacks voted for
Jimmy Carter over Gerald Ford; in 1980, 83 percent of blacks
voted for Jimmy Carter over Ronald Reagan; in 1984, 91 percent of
blacks voted for Walter Mondale over Ronald Reagan; in 1988, 89
percent of blacks voted for Michael Dukakis over George Bush;
and, in 1992, 83 percent of blacks voted for Bill Clinton over
George Bush, despite a concerted Republican Party campaign, led
by then Republican National Chairman Lee Atwater, to attract more
black voters.
   Bositis and other polling experts see no trend at the present
time away from preponderant support by African Americans for the
Democratic Party, despite indications of more conservative views.
That could change, however, depending on political developments.
   For example, if Senator Bob Dole offers the Republican vice
presidential nomination to Colin Powell and he convinces the
general to accept it, polls show the number of African Americans
willing to vote for the Republican ticket increases markedly,
although a majority still indicate they would vote for the
Democratic presidential nominee.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   BESHEAR WINS DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINATION IN KENTUCKY

   Steve Beshear, a former lieutenant governor of Kentucky,
easily won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in the
state's primary May 28.
   With nearly all precincts reporting, Beshear had 66 percent of
the vote in a race in which he faced two opponents. He will run
against incumbent U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican, in
the November general election.
   McConnell, who got 88 percent of the vote in the Republican
primary, faced only token opposition. McConnell is seeking a
third term in the U.S. Senate.
   In the Idaho primary, Senator Larry Craig, a Republican, was
unopposed, as was his challenger, Boise businessman Walt Minnick,
a Democrat.
   The news in the presidential primaries in the two states was
no news. Once again, President Clinton and Senator Dole won
easily.
   There was some marginal interest in the Republican
presidential primary, however, since Dole still faces a challenge
from Patrick Buchanan even though Dole has enough votes to win
his party's presidential nomination.
   In Kentucky, with almost all precincts reporting, Dole won 74
percent of the vote to Buchanan's 8 percent. Dole picked up all
26 Republican convention delegates.
   In Idaho, with 24 percent of the precincts reporting, Dole had
63 percent of the vote and Buchanan 22 percent. A total of 23
Republican delegates are at stake there.
   On June 4, New Jersey, New Mexico, Montana and Alabama hold
primary elections.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE MULTIPLE PARTY NOMINATION CASE

   The Supreme Court on May 28 agreed to decide whether states
may bar candidates from running for office under the banner of
more than one political party. Most states, but not all, ban
multiple-party nominations.
   For example, in New York during the 1980 presidential
election, Democrat Jimmy Carter got more votes than Republican
Ronald Reagan. But Reagan won the state because he also was the
Conservative Party's nominee and obtained additional votes
because of that second nomination. At issue is whether this
causes confusion among voters.
   The justices said they would review a federal appeals court
ruling that struck down Minnesota laws as violations of a minor
party's freedom of association. The case arose in 1994 when the
Twin Cities Area New Party, a minor political party, decided to
nominate Andy Dawkins as its candidate for a seat in the state's
House of Representatives. Dawkins, who already was the candidate
of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, accepted both parties'
nominations.
   Neither party objected. But the state laws banning the
appearance of any candidate twice on the same ballot were
invoked. The New Party sued. A federal judge upheld the state
laws, but a federal appeals court reversed the ruling.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   HISPANICS MAY VOTE DEMOCRATIC TO PROTEST IMMIGRANT BASHING
   By Eric Green

   Continued anti-immigrant rhetoric by Republican political
candidates and elected officials may drive the Hispanic vote in
the 1996 U.S. elections into the Democratic Party column,
according to an expert on Hispanic politics and demographics.
   Harry Pachon told a May 29 briefing at the U.S. Information
Agency's Foreign Press Center that the gains Republicans have
made in recent years in capturing Hispanic votes may be lost if
they espouse policies such as excluding children of Hispanic
illegal aliens from the public school system.
   Pachon, of the Tomas Rivas Center, a California-based research
center, noted that Hispanics are expected to be the largest
minority population in the United States by 2005. Although
Hispanics are certainly not a homogeneous voting bloc on many
issues, he said, surveys have found nearly unanimous agreement
among them that immigrants should receive the same services from
the government as other U.S. citizens.
   For instance, Pachon said, surveys found that 70 percent of
all Hispanics believe that illegal aliens who pay taxes should
receive governmental services.
   The survey results have enormous political implications in
states like California, which has 54 of the 270 electoral college
votes needed to win the presidential election. Nearly one-quarter
of the state's population is Hispanic, Pachon said, and if they
become energized to vote as a bloc for one party over another, it
could decide who wins the presidency.
   Such issues in California that might put Hispanics into the
Democratic column, he said, include a measure to deny certain
state benefits to illegal aliens, such as receiving non-emergency
hospital care. Another measure in California, Pachon said, would
force children of illegal aliens to be barred from attending
public schools.
   Survey results indicate, Pachon said, that Hispanics are not
"willing to believe the rhetoric coming from Washington, and from
certain state capitals and certain politicians, that paint
immigrants with one brushstroke" as being a drain on American
society. Hispanics, he said, closely identify with the human
rights concerns of immigrants, such as being unable to find good
jobs, the lack of educational opportunities, and in general,
discrimination based on "looking Hispanic."
   Pachon said the Hispanic vote will have a major impact on the
1996 presidential election "if it is a close election." In that
case, he added, California and Texas will be the two key states.
Texas has 32 electoral votes and 25.5 percent of its population
is Hispanic.
   Hispanics have made a significant impact on previous
presidential elections dating as far back as 1968, Pachon said,
when the Hispanic vote for Hubert Humphrey allowed the Democrat
to carry Texas, although Humphrey ended up narrowly losing
nationwide to Republican Richard M. Nixon.
   Pachon said the Hispanic vote may have proved the difference
in California's 1994 Senate election in helping Democrat Dianne
Feinstein eke out a win over Republican Michael Huffington, a
race where both candidates spent more than $30 million for the 10
million votes at stake.
   Florida, where 12.2 percent of the population is Hispanic, is
another state where the Hispanic vote will play an important
role. Florida is the state with the second largest percentage
increase in Hispanic population from 1980 to 1990, up 83.4
percent in those 10 years. Massachusetts had the largest increase
in Hispanics, up 103.9 percent, although only 4.8 percent of the
state's population is Hispanic.
   Pachon said the large Cuban-American population in Miami has
voted Republican since the 1960s because Florida's Democratic
Party of that time was more in tune with other old-line
anti-immigrant southern states that shut Cubans out of their
party.
   Another factor was disappointment with the Democratic
administration of President John F. Kennedy, which was in office
during the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961. Cubans felt
Kennedy had let them down, Pachon said, and formed a
Cuban-American organization to support the ultimately
unsuccessful presidential bid of Republican Barry Goldwater in
1964 against Democrat Lyndon Johnson.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   CAMPAIGN TRAIL TIDBITS:

   -- Campaign giving proposal: Former Tennessee Governor and
presidential candidate Lamar Alexander says federal election laws
that limit campaign contributions to $1,000 per individual are
"unfair" and should be eliminated. The problem, he told a recent
audience at a Heritage Foundation lecture, is that tight limits
require candidates to spend too much time raising money and not
enough time campaigning and getting their message out to the
voters. The result, he points out, is that incumbents and those
who are rich enough to finance their own campaigns have a major
advantage. The original law, he says, was intended to create
equality among the candidates, but the reverse has occurred.
Alexander's term for this situation is "the law of unintended
consequences."
   -- Advice for Dole: Author Richard Ben Cramer, who has written
several books on politics, including a recent one on Senator Bob
Dole, says the outgoing majority leader is trailing in the polls
to President Clinton because he hasn't been able to tell his
story to the American people. Cramer says Dole doesn't need a
"long laundry list of issues" but just has to have a couple of
ideas to run an effective campaign -- ideas that come from his
past. If Dole relates the issue of budget and debt to the
hardship he and his family suffered while he was growing up in
Russell, Kansas, Cramer says, "people will understand." Cramer's
other points, discussed during a recent briefing at the American
Enterprise Institute, are that "everybody's included" in the
campaign, not just proponents of single issues, and that Dole
should stress that while government should do fewer things for
its citizens, those it does do should be done excellently.
   -- Forbes to Advise Dole: Presumed Republican presidential
nominee Bob Dole says his former rival Steve Forbes will help
advise him on the development of a pro-growth economic plan, but
that he was not committed at this point to a particular tax
package. During his own presidential campaign, Forbes advocated a
flat tax for all citizens. Following a meeting between the two
men last week, Dole praised Forbes for developing "an economic
message that resonated with voters."
   -- Search for Dole Running Mate: Intensifying his search for a
vice presidential running mate, Bob Dole has asked attorney and
former diplomat Robert Ellsworth, a long-time friend from Kansas,
to oversee the initial selection process. Dole campaign officials
said that despite media reports of a "list" of possible names,
there is none and the search remains wide open.
   -- Replacing Dole: Kansas Governor Bill Graves has named
Lieutenant Governor Sheila Frahm, who is considered a political
moderate, to replace Bob Dole in the Senate immediately after his
June resignation. Frahm will hold the seat the rest of the year,
but will have to win the August 6 Kansas Republican primary and
the November 5 general election to serve the final two years of
Dole's term. Frahm previously was the first woman majority leader
in the Kansas state Senate. She will have party opposition,
however. Republican Congressman Sam Brownback, a conservative, is
the first challenger to declare his candidacy for the primary.
   -- National Tally: Unofficial returns from all state
Republican primary elections held through May 21 show that Bob
Dole received 7.5 million votes from among 13 million cast. The
unofficial tally, reported by Congressional Quarterly magazine,
shows Dole with 1,283 national convention delegates, more than
enough needed for nomination. There are 109 delegates committed
to Pat Buchanan and 136 who are uncommitted.
   -- Dole Campaigning: Campaigning in Florida last week,
Republican hopeful Bob Dole promised a predominantly
Cuban-American audience that if he is elected president, Cuban
leader Fidel Castro's "house of cards" would tumble. Dole did not
offer any specific plans, but said President Clinton would
"rather sacrifice U.S. interests than risk offending a Cuban
dictator." At the White House, spokesman Mike McCurry said Dole
needs to clarify "whether he was planning armed invasion or
continuation of the policies that the president supported"
concerning Cuba.
   -- Dole Campaign Spending: Presidential candidates who use
federal matching funds are limited to $37 million prior to the
national nominating conventions, and Republican Bob Dole's
campaign has only $177,000 left, according to the most recent
filing with the Federal Election Commission. Dole campaign
officials say his travel until the August convention will be
almost exclusively to state and local fund raising events so his
expenses can be paid by groups at those levels.
   -- Political Party Spending: The Federal Election Commission
reports that in the 15 month period ending April 1, the
Republican National Committee raised $135 million and spent $118
million, primarily on campaign advertising, while the Democratic
National Committee raised $73 million and spent $67 million.
   -- "Soft Money" Donations: While U.S. campaign finance laws
limit the amount of funds that individuals and organizations may
legally contribute to a specific campaign, there is no such
restriction placed on gifts to political parties. These
donations, known as "soft money," are given by corporations,
unions and wealthy people in efforts to influence individual
campaigns because the parties can use the money in ways that
critics say violate the spirit if not the letter of the law. At a
recent Democratic National Committee gala that cost $2,000 a
person to attend, the Democrats raised $12.3 million. But that
did not even come close to the $16 million that the Republicans
raised at one of their events in January.
   -- Missouri Convention: Electing Missouri's final nine
delegates to the Republican National Convention, delegates to the
state convention gave five to Bob Dole and four to Alan Keyes.
Pat Buchanan addressed the state gathering in an attempt to
increase his totals but was shut out. Missouri is sending 36
delegates to the national convention: 19 pledged to Dole, 11 to
Buchanan and 6 to Keyes.
   -- Reform Party: Ross Perot's new Reform Party, which
announced earlier it would hold a national convention in early
September in a still unnamed city, now says it "might schedule
it" in August, between the dates of the Republican and Democratic
conventions. That could inject a new factor into the major
parties' battle for media attention. Spokesmen for the
Republicans and the Democrats shrugged off concerns, but
observers felt such timing would kill any "media bounce" for Bob
Dole after he secures his party's nomination. Said Reform Party
national coordinator Russell Verney: "There's plenty of ink space
for everyone to get their message out."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   JOURNALISTIC JUXTAPOSITIONS

   -- Baltimore Sun editorial writer Daniel Berger: "The
candidate who would bomb Serbs and president who would not but
did, is now facing an opponent who will denounce anything he does
abroad. But it will take a foreign policy disaster rigged by a
hostile regime, not criticism from his opponent, to do Mr.
Clinton in. Not even Republican Cubans from Florida should take
Senator Dole at his word about throwing Castro from power. No
president has tried since John F. Kennedy and that was a
mistake."
   -- New York Magazine columnist Jacob Weisberg: "The
fundamental conflict within contemporary conservatism is over the
role of government. The division is a direct result of the
chimerical revolution of the Reagan years, when Republicans
declared an assault on Big Government but never made a serious
attempt to execute it. On one side are those intent on
drastically shrinking the public sector like the House majority
leader, Dick Armey, and his freshmen acolytes. On the other are
those like Mr. Dole who have accepted the basic functions of the
New Deal welfare state and think President Reagan was shrewd to
leave it alone."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   PUNDIT'S PEARLS

   -- Political analyst Jeffrey Bell: "Dole's best hope for
victory is to separate himself from the Republican Congress, move
to the center on a number of issues that have hurt Republicans,
and educate voters instead about Dole's impressive biography and
superior character. The crown jewel of this strategy is
back-channel wooing of Colin Powell to reverse his earlier
decision and serve as Dole's running mate."
   -- American Conservative Union political director Bill Pascoe:
"Though liberals and Democrats have already begun their
celebrations, declaring in gleeful tones that this is an act of
desperation from a desperate man, it is not. It is, in fact, a
brilliant strategic move, and demonstrates in one decision why
this fall's race will be much closer than the conventional wisdom
now allows."
   -- Progress and Freedom Foundation fellow Arianna Huffington:
"There are no guarantees in sacrifices. But there is a symbolic
power in them that goes far beyond political analysts' charts and
figures and touches people's hearts and minds. Which is exactly
what the Republican nominee needs to do."
   -- Television analyst John McLaughlin: "Now that Bob Dole is
out among the people, what can he do to win them over? The best
way is for him to follow his first bold move, quitting the
Senate, with a second bold move; namely, propose a big tax cut
for the American people. That's what Dole handlers want him to
do. This would be a sure way, they say, for Dole to distinguish
Dole from Clinton."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   EDITORIAL EXCERPTS

   -- Roanoke (Virginia) Times and World News: "The American
constitutional system differs from most democracies in that the
head of government is elected separately from the legislative
branch. In most systems, the head of the majority party in
parliament -- that is, a Bob Dole (before resigning from the
Senate) -- is the prime minister. We're not suggesting a new
Constitution. The American system has its virtues. Separating the
presidency from the Congress, though, can also invite gridlock."
   -- Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal: "The day was bittersweet
not just for Dole, but for Kansas. We lose a political legend and
legislative virtuoso. We lose tremendous clout, built up day by
day for 27 years by a man with the use of one hand but with a
single-minded determination to get things done."
   -- Kansas City Star: "His decision will be widely seen as an
attempt to position himself as some sort of political 'outsider.'
Dole should resist that temptation, which obviously won't fly in
light of his long public career."
   -- Madison (Wisconsin) Capital Times: "Dole's problem has
never been the Senate. In fact, his ability in the past to forge
compromises and advance critical legislation in a relatively
bipartisan manner was his greatest strength. Dole's challenge is
the 'vision thing.' He doesn't have any."
   -- Columbus Dispatch: "There are indications that Dole's
sacrificing decision had one desired effect immediately:
energizing the party faithful, quieting -- if not uniting --
discordant factions, healing wounds and bringing the campaign as
a whole into sharper focus."
   -- Detroit News: "Republicans for months have been downcast
about their chances this fall. But political desperation
sometimes leads to political inspiration. Our sense is that in
casting aside the trappings of past glory and running as a plain
citizen, Bob Dole has shown himself a more interesting political
figure -- and a man of more genuine character -- than many
observers suspected."
   -- Atlanta Constitution: "Give him credit for making this
presidential campaign livelier and, no doubt, more competitive.
The man has grit."
   -- Richmond Times Dispatch: "While it's tempting to say all
office-holders running for election ought to resign, the approach
would be impractical because it would result in vacancies across
the board. Nevertheless, Bob Dole's move is admirable. It
reinforces his reputation for sacrifice."
   -- St. Louis Post Dispatch: "Mr. Dole is depriving himself of
a platform from which to keep himself in the public eye and to do
almost daily battle with the president."
   -- Omaha World Herald: "It may seem daunting for Dole to shed
the trappings of office. But his decision to put everything on
the line reflects character and determination. By reflecting the
confidence of a man who is willing to risk much to gain much,
Dole's master stroke should, over time, make his campaign more
focused and credible."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   CLINTON RESPONSE TO ARKANSAS "WHITEWATER" TRIAL

   DEBORAH TATE
   WHITE HOUSE

   President Clinton says he feels sorry for his former
Whitewater business partners, James and Susan McDougal, and
Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, after all three were found
guilty of charges relating to the Whitewater real estate deal.
Mr. Clinton was involved in the land deal that went sour in the
1980's when he was governor of Arkansas, but he was not accused
of any wrongdoing in the trial, a point the president's lawyer
made clear Tuesday.
   In a terse written statement released shortly after the
verdicts were announced, President Clinton's lawyer, Mark
Fabiani, noted that prosecutors and defense attorneys both agreed
that Mr. Clinton had nothing to do with the allegations involved
in the trial.
   Mr. Clinton testified by videotape for the defense earlier
this month, repeating his position that he had done nothing wrong
and broken no laws.
   At a brief appearance before reporters Tuesday, Mr. Clinton
expressed regret upon learning of the verdicts:
   "Obviously, on a personal level, I am very sorry for governor
tucker and for Jim and Susan McDougal. But the jury has decided,
I was asked to give testimony. I did that, and for me it is time
to go back to work."
   When asked if the verdicts meant the jury did not believe his
testimony, the president replied 'I doubt it'. He would not
comment on whether governor tucker should resign.
   White House spokesman Mike McCurry says Mr. Clinton was not
surprised by the verdicts, saying, in his words, the president
had no way of knowing which way the jury would decide.
   Observers say the verdicts will likely encourage Republicans
in Congress to continue their investigation into the Whitewater
affair, in which many questions remain unanswered.
   Mr. McCurry said he would not be surprised if Republicans make
political hay out of the jury's decision this election year. But
the spokesman would not say whether the White House believes the
verdicts represent a political setback for the president, who has
a double-digit lead in public opinion polls over his presumptive
Republican challenger, Bob Dole.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   CLINTON ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE MILITARY

   DAVID BORGIDA
   WHITE HOUSE

   As the 1996 presidential election campaign heats up, President
Clinton has been working hard lately to improve his relationship
with the U.S. military community. Given his decision to avoid
military service in Vietnam, it has been somewhat of an uphill
battle. The president believes he is making progress, turning an
uphill battle into a fair fight.
   It is a political constituency difficult to ignore as of
August 1995, 1.5 million Americans were serving on active duty in
the U.S. military, with millions of family members and military
veterans integrated into the civilian society.
   With the presidential election months away, it has become
clear the Clinton-gore re-election campaign believes it simply
cannot turn its back on these voters:
   "The veterans never stopped taking every step they could for
America, now it is our turn to do what we should do."
   That statement was by President Clinton, on Tuesday,
announcing his decision to extend disability benefits to
Vietnam-era veterans who were exposed to the herbicide agent
orange:
   "On this memorial day, let us draw inspiration from the spirit
that surrounds us, to give those who still defend our freedom and
security in the military today the support they need and deserve
to fulfill their important mission."
   That was President Clinton on Monday, addressing a largely
military crowd at the Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheater.
   "We owe many debts to those who gave all they had to defend
America's security and values around the world."
   And that was President Clinton, on Saturday, in his radio
address to the nation, paying tribute to the nation's war dead
just before Memorial Day.
   "We are grateful to you, and grateful that you are the
best-trained, best-equipped, best-prepared fighting force on
earth."
   President Clinton, last Wednesday, during a visit to the
USS Intrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier, now a military
museum in New York. He praised U.S. naval forces and urged them
not to despair following the suicide of Admiral Mike Boorda,
chief of naval operations.
   All this comes as the president becomes more active in his
re-election bid against expected Republican nominee Bob Dole, a
severely wounded and highly decorated World War II veteran. It
also comes as the Republican National Committee broadcast a
political advertisement over the Memorial Day weekend mocking the
president because his personal attorney suggested the president
could delay a sexual harassment suit filed against him by
invoking a 1940 law shielding members of the military from such
action. The president's attorney suggested the act applied to the
president, who is commander in chief of the nation's military.
   It prompted an outcry from decorated military veterans who
charged it was hypocritical for the president to take steps to
avoid military service in Vietnam and then seek to use the
military exemption. In the face of this, the president's attorney
told the Supreme Court Tuesday he would not rely on the law to
avoid the lawsuit, brought when the president was Arkansas
governor.
   The episode served to underscore the fragile and politically
combustible nature of the president's relationship with the
military. Early in the president's term, what began as a rocky
relationship worsened with the president's decision to allow
homosexuals in the military.
   But now it's not just the president and his surrogates who say
he has done a lot to support the men and women in the military
over the last three and a half years. The head of the 2.1 million
member Veterans of Foreign Wars calls the president's decision
Tuesday to extend benefits to Vietnam veterans a compassionate
one, but more importantly, he says the president has done what he
calls an above average job on behalf of veterans, "as good or
better" than previous administrations.
   Yet Bob Currieo acknowledges that for some, the president's
lack of military service can never be forgotten:
   "There's a moral void, this is the way I understand it with
some veterans, that there is a moral void in the fact that he not
only didn't serve, we know there are a number of people in
Congress who never served, but the history behind him not serving
has troubled many veterans."
   Still, he points out a slim majority of the members of his
organization supported Bill Clinton over former President George
bush in 1992. And he says his organization has not yet chosen
which presidential candidate it will support in 1996, a sure sign
Bill Clinton will at least get a fair chance at making his case
to a constituency he badly wants to win over.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   CLINTON ACCUSED OF "STEALING" DOLE'S CAMPAIGN ISSUES
   By Alexander M. Sullivan

   Watching his Democratic opponent appropriate traditionally
Republican applause lines faster than he can deliver them,
Senator Bob Dole is smilingly accusing President Clinton of petty
theft.
   Whether it is welfare reform or crime or wayward teenagers,
the presumptive Republican presidential candidate has suffered
mostly in silence as Clinton has co-opted Republican positions on
each issue. Finally, when the president endorsed the basics of a
Republican governor's plan to reform the welfare system -- three
days before Dole traveled to Wisconsin to do so -- the senator
quipped the president's move was "probably petty theft."
   It's true that Clinton's campaign has a fast-response team --
patterned on the successful disaster control unit created for the
1992 presidential campaign -- that counters any Dole thrust as
soon as the senator mounts it. In fact, within minutes of Dole's
address on welfare reform, the fax machines of news organizations
were whirring with unsolicited comment from Ann Lewis, deputy
manager of Clinton's unannounced re-election campaign.
   Lewis had kind words for Dole, claiming he had "embraced
Clinton initiatives.... We are not complaining. We are gratified
Senator Dole has joined us on these important issues."
   Commenting on the welfare program specifically and more
generally on Clinton's move to the political center, Dole
rejoined, "If we go to enough states, we may straighten out the
country."
   Clinton has been seeking -- successfully -- to blur party
distinctions ever since the Republican Party gained control of
both Houses of Congress in November 1994. Did Republicans want to
eliminate deficit spending by a date certain? Clinton moved from
refusal to set a date to targeting a budget balance by the year
2002. Listening to the president prod Republicans to balance the
budget now, one would think it was his idea in the first place.
   Concerning issues of public morality, if Dole rails at
Hollywood for the sex and violence rampant in movie theaters and
on the television screen, Clinton moves in to press legislation
requiring an electronic governor on television sets. This would
allow parents to block reception of certain programming. (Many of
the provisions of that legislation were immediately challenged in
court by civil liberties groups.) The president also got
voluntary agreements, at a White House conference for motion
picture and television producers, to moderate the content of
future programs and films.
   If Republicans view with alarm the state of public education,
Clinton suggests local school districts should require uniforms
for students to eliminate fashion rivalry and the occasional
violence it sparks. When Republicans assail laws and regulations
seeking to keep government and religion at arm's length,
especially in schools, Clinton issues a handbook of what
religious activities will escape court challenge.
   The president is campaigning rhetorically as well to eliminate
use of tobacco products by those under age 18, to discourage
sexual activities among teenagers, and to encourage business
firms to succeed by treating employees more kindly. Among the
reporters who listen to his every speech, Clinton is being called
"nanny-in-chief," a word play on his military title,
commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces.
   Clinton, of course, is pursuing the well-worn path to victory
in American elections. With few exceptions, the candidate who can
occupy the center of the political spectrum with a message of
optimism and hope tends to win.
   Further, Clinton is relying more heavily on an old but
controversial political ally, Dick Morris, a consultant who has
counseled both Democratic and Republican candidates, sometimes in
the same election year, although not for the same office. To the
distress of some of his fellow Democrats -- but to his own
benefit in the public opinion polls -- the president has adopted
"triangulation" as his campaign strategy.
   Triangulation calls on a candidate to "split the difference"
between positions espoused by the Republican and Democratic
parties. With a certain amount of anguish, Republicans like House
Speaker Newt Gingrich and House Majority Leader Dick Armey
contend the president is succeeding all too well.
   Dole recognizes the effectiveness of the Clinton tactics of
quick reaction and triangulation. Speaking of the Clinton rapid
response team, the candidate acknowledged, "They react fairly
quickly."
   He nonetheless retains the optimism any seeker of votes must
nurture. The president may blur differences between them, but
Dole predicted the American people will catch on. "Given the
choice between a Republican and a Democrat who talks like a
Republican," he said hopefully, "the American voter will choose
the real thing."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   ATTENTION IN ARKANSAS PRIMARY FOCUSES ON U.S. SENATE RACE
   By David Pitts

   In the Arkansas primary May 21, attention focused on the race
for the U.S. Senate, since, as expected, President Clinton and
Republican Bob Dole once again racked up presidential primary
wins.
   The two top candidates in a five-way Democratic Senate primary
were Attorney General Winston Bryant, a former lieutenant
governor, and State Senator Lu Hardin. They will face each other
in a runoff election on June 11. Lieutenant Governor Mike
Huckabee, the Republican Senate candidate, was unopposed.
   In the November general election, Arkansans will choose
between the Democratic and Republican nominees for the Senate
seat currently occupied by Democrat David Pryor, who is retiring
after three terms. Pryor was first elected in 1978 and is
considered a close political ally of President Clinton.
   Arkansas, the president's home state, is currently led by
Governor Jim Guy Tucker, who is being tried on seven fraud and
conspiracy charges, and confronts a separate three-count
indictment brought by the Whitewater prosecutor. If convicted,
Tucker could lose his office, and since Huckabee is lieutenant
governor, he could succeed the governor. But Huckabee says that
is unlikely to occur.
   Historically, Arkansas likes to elect Democrats to the U.S.
Senate. It has not sent a Republican there since the late 19th
century. But the Democrats may not have so easy a win this year
since Huckabee is politically popular and won in 1994 with 58
percent, the largest Republican margin ever in the state.
   The race will be closely watched by the pundits because
President Clinton is an Arkansan. If a Democrat wins the Senate
seat decisively in November, it will be an indication that the
president's influence is not waning in his home state, as
Republicans have claimed. If the Democrat loses, it will be seen
as a political embarrassment for Clinton.
   In the Republican presidential primary, with 99 percent of the
precincts reporting, Dole received 77 percent of the votes cast
to Pat Buchanan's 23 percent. President Clinton won 73 percent of
the vote in the Democratic primary, with 17 percent uncommitted
and the remaining 10 percent split between two other candidates.
   Twenty delegates were at stake for the Republican National
Convention and 48 for the Democratic National Convention.
Arkansas had an open primary, meaning voters could participate in
either party's primary.
   In Oregon, State Senate president and frozen food tycoon
Gordon Smith won the Republican Senate primary May 21, while high
tech businessman Tom Bruggere won the Democratic race. They will
compete in November for the seat being vacated by retiring
Republican Senator Mark Hatfield.
   Oregon voters also rejected a referendum seeking to make it
more difficult to get referendums on the statewide ballot. The
state's presidential primary was held earlier this year.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   REPORTS CONFLICT ON LENGTH OF SERVICE FOR DOLE SUCCESSOR
   By Stuart Gorin

   There have been conflicting reports out of Kansas about how
long Senator Bob Dole's appointed successor will serve before an
election is held, and the whole question may have to be decided
in court.
   Dole's regular six-year term of office expires in January
1999. Under Kansas law, Governor Bill Graves is to appoint a
temporary successor. When Dole announced his decision to step
down effective on or before June 11, the expectation was the
appointment would last two years.
   But the secretary of state for Kansas, Ron Thornburg,
announced that the election to fill Dole's seat for the remaining
two years of the term must be held this November 5, meaning the
governor's appointee would only serve for several months.
According to Thornburg's office, however, there could be a court
challenge to this scenario.
   Says David Miller, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party,
Dole's departure is "creating quite a flurry in the political
community."
   There already will be a Senate election in Kansas this
November because the state's other member of the upper chamber,
Nancy Kassebaum, is retiring. June 10 is the deadline to file for
that race, which was already scheduled to take place August 6.
Several big name politicians in both political parties have
expressed interest in running, and the numbers increased once it
was known both seats are open. The last time a Democrat was
victorious in a Senate race in Kansas was 1932.
   State officials plan to extend the filing date to June 24 for
Dole's seat but still hold the special election the same date as
the primary election for Kassebaum's seat.
   According to the Washington Post, one of several scenarios
that the governor is exploring involves naming to Dole's seat
Congressman Pat Roberts, the current chairman of the House
Agriculture Committee. But Roberts would run for Kassebaum's seat
and after the election would relinquish the Dole seat, for which
others would compete. Then, if victorious, Roberts not only would
have a six-year term, he also would have seniority over the rest
of next year's incoming Senate newcomers.
   Meanwhile, even though the Senate Republicans will not select
a new majority leader to succeed Dole until next month, House
Majority Leader Dick Armey says party whip (second in command)
Trent Lott has more than enough support to win.
   Lott, who is opposed in the race by fellow Mississippian Thad
Cochran, is hinting that Cochran should withdraw rather than face
embarrassment. Thus far, 21 Senate Republicans have publicly
announced their support for Lott.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   DOLE WELFARE REFORM PROMISES

   JIM MALONE
   WASHINGTON

   Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole is promising real
welfare reform if he wins the November election. Senator Dole
spoke to a rally in the Midwestern state of Wisconsin Tuesday and
challenged President Clinton to back up his rhetorical support
for welfare reform with action.
   Wisconsin's Republican Governor Tommy Thompson is a leader in
state efforts to reform welfare. Senator Dole was eager to
endorse the Wisconsin approach. It requires adult welfare
recipients to find work within two years and replaces cash aid
from the federal government with job training programs.
   Mr. Dole described the current welfare system as the greatest
shame of the great society programs of the 1960s enacted into law
by Democrats. He says this handout approach has robbed an entire
dependent class of people of dignity and hope:
   "It is not compassionate to lead people into a life of drugs,
dependency and despair. There is nothing compassionate about that
but we have been doing it for 30 or 40 years. Real compassion
must sometimes take the form of tough love. It is time to get
people out of the destructive lifestyles of welfare once and for
all."
   Over the weekend President Clinton moved to gain some
political advantage on the issue ahead of the Dole speech when he
offered support for Wisconsin's welfare program. The president
has been moving to the political center on a number of issues of
late, an obvious source of frustration to Senator Dole:
   "When President Clinton read that I was coming to Wisconsin to
discuss welfare reform, he suddenly decides that he supports what
Governor Thompson has done. If this keeps up, Bill Clinton will
not have to make speeches any more. All he will have to do is
find out my stand on an issue and just stand up and say, oh, me
too, me too."
   Senator Dole says the president's words in support of welfare
reform do not match his actions in vetoing two different reform
plans proposed by Republicans in Congress. Mr. Dole says welfare
reform should be done by the individual states, not the federal
government.
   White House officials were quick to fire back at Senator Dole
on welfare reform. Presidential spokesman Mike McCurry says the
Clinton Administration is working hard in cooperation with the
states to fulfill the president's 1992 campaign pledge to end
welfare as it is now known. Spokesman McCurry saw little new in
the Dole speech except some more personal attacks on the
president:
   "Because there is no new substance in anything that he said on
welfare reform today so he resorts to personal attacks. That is
all he is left with since he clearly did not study the
president's record on this subject nor is he familiar with the
bill we submitted to Congress."
   Senator Dole got a warm response from the crowd when he asked
them what they thought of his decision to resign his Senate seat
and campaign full time for president. But public opinion polls
indicate his decision to leave the senate is not winning over
many voters, the president still has a big lead in most surveys.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   DOLE SAYS SENATE WILL VOTE AGAIN ON BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT

   VICTOR BEATTIE
   WASHINGTON

   Senate leader Bob Dole, the presumptive Republican
presidential nominee, has promised the Senate will cast one more
vote on a balanced budget amendment before he leaves office next
month. Mr. Dole is preparing to unveil a major policy address on
welfare reform Tuesday in the upper Midwest state, Wisconsin:
   Mr. Dole, who last week announced his retirement from the
Senate to concentrate on the presidential campaign, says one of
his last acts as upper-house leader will be to bring up an
amendment to the constitution requiring a balanced budget.
   The Kansas Republican, speaking to the American international
automobile dealers association, acknowledged approval by
two-thirds of the Senate, a requirement for a constitutional
amendment, is unlikely:
   "We'll lose, but we'll have one more vote because we want the
American people to see after all the promises of balancing the
budget, all of the promises of cutting spending and we're not
there yet. But, this is our best hope."
   The House of Representatives passed the proposed amendment
last year, but the senate failed to do so by one vote.
Republicans have suggested some changes that might gain more
Democratic support.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

   DEBORAH TATE
   WHITE HOUSE

   The Clinton Administration has indicated president Clinton
would sign legislation being considered by the U.S. congress that
would ban same-sex marriages. It is the latest social issue on
which the president has taken a more conservative stand this
election year, even though he risks losing the support of some in
the gay community who backed his candidacy in 1992.
   Republican lawmakers have introduced the legislation banning
same-sex marriages in response to a pending legal case in Hawaii
that may result in making such marriages legal in that state.
   Under the terms of the U.S. constitution, if same-sex marriage
is made legal in Hawaii, the other 49 states would also have to
accept such unions as legal.
   But the legislation before Congress would change that. It
would define marriage under federal law as the legal union
between one man and one woman. White House spokesman Mike McCurry
last week indicated Mr. Clinton would sign the legislation.
   But it was clear the usually well-versed spokesman was not
having an easy time explaining the president's position in a way
that would not alienate the gay community, which strongly backed
Mr. Clinton in the 1992 election:
   "The only thing I have, the president believes that marriage
as an institution should be reserved for union between one man
and one woman. That has long been his view. I have not gone
deeper into the moral philosophy behind it. Marriage as an
institution is one that brings people together, and thus is
something that does strengthen the tradition of family life in
this country."
   1But word Mr. Clinton would sign the bill immediately angered
gay activists, who had seen the president abandon them on another
key issue, his 1992 campaign pledge to lift the ban on gays in
the military.
   Tracy Connaty of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
called for Mr. Clinton to reconsider his support for the
legislation.
   Spokesman McCurry says he respects the views of those who
disagree with the president's position. But he is also quick to
defend Mr. Clinton's record on gay issues:
   "There is a difference between sanctioning something and
making sure you prohibit discrimination. This president's record
on insuring there is not discrimination against gays and lesbians
is very clear: He feels strongly on that, but just as a question
of what he believes, he does not believe that same sex marriage,
he just does not believe in it."
   Mr. McCurry calls the same-sex marriage issue a divisive one,
and he accuses Republicans of using it for political ends:
   "There is a sense here that what is driving the public debate
on this issue is an attempt by some in congress to force this as
a wedge issue. The president wishes we would do a little more to
bring Americans together, and not hold out any community for
punitive action."
   As the political mood in the country has become more
conservative in recent years, so has Mr. Clinton's stand on many
social issues, from welfare reform to the fight against crime,
and now same-sex marriage.
   The strategy is being used by the president to counter charges
he is too liberal from his presumptive Republican challenger, Bob
Dole.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   DOLE SAYS HE WOULD END CASTRO'S REIGN IN CUBA

   VICTOR BEATTIE
   WASHINGTON

   Retiring Senate leader Bob Dole, the presumptive Republican
Party presidential nominee, has promised Cuban-Americans he will
end Fidel Castro's reign in Cuba, if he is elected. Mr. Dole took
aim Sunday at President Clinton's foreign policy as one that, in
his words, telegraphs indecision and weakness to the world.
   Mr. Dole, speaking to an outdoor Miami rally of
Cuban-Americans, promises a foreign policy based on U.S.
interests, not on what he calls President Castro's threatening
noises. He pledges an end to communist rule in Cuba:
   "The appeasement policy of the Clinton Administration will be
replaced by an iron resolve to bring Fidel Castro down and end
his regime of terror in Cuba."
   He says history will write that, under President Bob Dole, Mr.
Castro's house of cards came tumbling down.
   Mr. Dole accuses the administration of failing to stand up to
Cuba until four Cuban-Americans were killed when two civilian
aircraft were shot down by Cuban warplanes in February. The
planes were operated by the anti-castro humanitarian organization
"Brothers To The Rescue."
   Last March, President Clinton signed into law a measure
tightening the sanctions on Cuba. The administration says it is
designed to increase pressure on President Castro by discouraging
future investment in the island nation.
   Florida, with a large Cuban-American population, will be a key
battleground state in the November election.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   POLITICIANS LAY-OUT POSITIONS FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

   JANE BERGER
   WASHINGTON

   Republicans and Democrats are beginning to lay out their
positions for November's general election as the presidential
campaign between President Clinton and the presumptive Republican
nominee Senator Bob Dole gets underway in Ernest. Two leading
senators discussed the political agenda in a U.S. television
interview.
   Senate majority leader Bob Dole stunned both parties with a
surprise decision last week to resign his Senate seat and
campaign full-time against President Clinton. Mr. Dole is the
presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee and he has
between running far behind President Clinton in public opinion
poles.
   Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi is expected to win a Senate
vote to succeed Mr. Dole when he formally steps down next month
as majority leader. Mr. Lott said the Republicans in congress had
lost their message of smaller government, lower taxes, and less
government spending. But he said the party intends to refocus its
message in support of Mr. Dole:
   "We kind of lost our way late last year and earlier this year.
But we are going to try to get back and talk about the issues
that we think are important to America's future. Bill Clinton has
been a monument to the status quo. He said he was going to cut
spending, he was going to balance the budget, he was going to
change welfare as we have known it, give a middle income tax
break, he has done none of that. We want a vision of the future
that will be also humane and sensitive to the needs of our
children and our parents."
   The top Senate Democrat minority leader Tom Daschle said the
American people have rejected the Republican agenda because it is
too extreme. He said President Clinton intends to campaign on his
record of accomplishments, including a strong economy:
   "They talk, the president acts. Now, for the last four years
we have not done this since the civil war. We have seen deficit
reduction in every year. We have seen economic growth that has
created nine-million new jobs. That is a record we can be very
proud of."
   On the subject of taxes, Mr. Lott said it had been a mistake
to raise taxes under presidents bush, and Clinton. Senator
Daschle noted although President Clinton approved a tax increase,
it was only aimed at the top two-percent of wealthiest Americans.
   ---------------

   ---------------
   WORLD PRESS: U.S. POLITICS

   DIANA MCCAFFREY
   WASHINGTON

   Foreign observers continued to mull over a number of U.S.
domestic stories and developments and their possible effect on
the presidential campaigns of Democrat Bill Clinton and
Republican Bob Dole.  The recent guilty verdict in the Little
Rock trial of former associates of President and Mrs. Clinton
sparked the most numerous and recent editorials.  Pundits for the
most part deemed the verdict "devastating" and "bad news" for the
president, and believed it could considerably diminish his
chances for reelection.  Bonn's centrist General-Anzeiger said,
"Among quite a few voters, the vague suspicion will intensify
that Clinton is 'somehow' involved in the affair."  A majority of
commentators asserted that the Republicans cannot be anything but
hopeful, with one writer contending that the verdict "is just
what [challenger Dole] was waiting for." Another German writer
pointed out that Senator Dole "would be a bad election campaigner
if he does not take advantage of Whitewater by questioning the
character of his opponent."  London's liberal Guardian added, "If
anything can save the fortunes of presidential challenger Bob
Dole, it is the new impetus now given to Whitewatergate by
Tuesday's verdict."   Some, however, were not so convinced that
President Clinton's bid for reelection would be harmed by the
verdict, with one British daily stressing that "there are still
five months to go before the election and according to the polls,
the president is still well ahead of his opponent."  In the end,
others said, it will be the American electorate who will decide
what weight to give the verdict.
   Opinionmakers also focused on other activities of the
president as well as those of Congress that may influence the
November contest.  German and British papers called President
Clinton's meeting with German Chancellor Kohl in Milwaukee last
week mostly "symbolic," and part of the Democratic election
strategy.  London's conservative Times suggested that the
president had "invited Herr Kohl to Milwaukee because Wisconsin
has a huge German-American population and Mr. Clinton badly needs
to win the state in November's presidential election."  Some
German media voices, however, maintained that the visit went
beyond U.S. politics and was also aimed at "strengthening the
links between the United States and Europe."  Meanwhile, pundits
in Latin America and Europe were disturbed by recent efforts in
the U.S. Congress to strengthen U.S. immigration laws and beef up
police action against illegal aliens in the U.S.  Mexican
editorials were the most vitriolic, calling the U.S. move
"racist" politics.  One observer fumed,  "U.S. 'cheap'
politicians have hammered into the minds of many Americans the
absurd idea that Mexican immigrants affect their social
wellbeing."   European critics charged that America was falling
victim to Pat Buchanan's rhetoric, looking inward with an
"American- first" chauvinism.  An Italian commentator lamented
that the "legend of America for all is vanishing."  A bright note
was found at the recent 13th U.S.-Mexico Binantional Commission
meeting, where several Mexican papers proclaimed that agreements
signed during the session "reflect the political determination of
both governments to improve the two nations' bilateral
relationship.  It is now time to translate those agreements into
actions...particularly regarding the unilateral attitudes about
immigration." Nationalist Excelsior admonished U.S. authorities
to "work so that reason prevails and there is good
neighborliness."


   This survey is based on 36 reports from 12 countries, April
   19-May 30.

   EUROPE

   GERMANY:  "In The Maelstrom of Whitewater"

   According to centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (5/30),
"Step by step, the Whitewater affair is cracking a foundation
which  the successful president urgently needs for a sound
standing and for his  reelection: credibility....  Now jurors
have convicted Clinton's business  partners of fraud....  During
his 12 years as governor, President  Clinton obviously surrounded
himself with a bunch of loan jugglers and  smart people who knew
how to bend the law.  Even if he is free from any  guilt, these
people could considerably undermine Clinton's reputation.   For
Senator D'Amato and Newt Gingrich, Clinton's past in Arkansas is
a highly welcome election campaign topic.  By doing so they can
easily  dispel attraction from the weakness of their own
candidate Dole and from the failure of their so-called
conservative revolution."


   "Start The Mud-Slinging Now"

   Centrist General-Anzeiger of Bonn (5/30) opined, "The jurors'
verdict is bad news for President Clinton, but for Bob  Dole, his
Republican challenger, it is just what he was waiting for....
However, even a regiment of prosecutors did not find any evidence
of the president having broken the law.  But is this playing any
role?  In the  era of TV news, the catch phrase 'Whitewater' and
Clinton's picture are enough--and among quite a few voters the
vague suspicion will intensify that Clinton is 'somehow' involved
in the affair.  Dole would be a bad election campaigner if he
does not take advantage of 'Whitewater' by questioning the
character of his opponent. We Europeans can now enjoy the luxury
of watching this spectacle, since our election campaigns focus on
ideas and concepts--don't they?"


   "Clinton And Realpolitik"

   Washington correspondent Leo Wieland wrote in right-of- center
Frankfurter Allgemeine (5/28), "The presidential candidate
Clinton made a promise in 1992.  He said  that if he was to
replace George Bush as president, he would stop the pampering of
dictators.' Soon afterwards, President Clinton turned  into a
foreign policy pragmatist, who, without great fuss, quickly
extended the MFN status for China.  And when his first two years
as  president were over, he deliberately overlooked the fact that
the American arch enemies in Tehran supplied weapons to the
Muslims in the  Balkans....  And in the past few days,
realpolitik won twice.  He  extended the MFN status for China
again...and then supported for  humanitarian reasons- -and
because of the fuel price--a relaxation of  the oil embargo on
Iraq.
   "This would not be very exciting if there were no presidential
elections in the United States.  But because this is so, an
abundance of  domestic policy considerations, partisan fights
about positions and possible unpleasant effects on friend and foe
are linked to every foreign  policy decision, reaction or
ruse....
   "The president has the bonus of being the incumbent, and he
has the  smarter strategists.  They advised him, for instance, to
receive Poland's  ex-president Lech Walesa in June even before
the new Polish President  Kwasniewski.... The problem are not the
voters in Poland but the Polish voters in the United States.  In
the meantime, Dole is addressing another  target group and
climbed the summit of untenable election promises when he told
Cuban exiles in Florida that he would  topple Fidel Castro and
finish his terrorist rule.'  Since Eisenhower, every U.S.
president has  tried this--to no avail."


   "Kohl's Symbolic Trip To Milwaukee"

   U.S. correspondent Uwe Knuepfer filed the following editorial
in General-Anzeiger of Bonn (5/25):  "It is easy to consider the
German-American trip to Milwaukee as a waste of taxpayers' money
and as election campaign theater since  President Clinton wants
to be reelected in November. But the trip had  its effects and
they were planned and are valuable.  Never before
   have  the people of Wisconsin heard about and seen so much of
Germany as during  and before the chancellor's visit. Newspapers
and TV programs were full  of reports and factual news stories.
But how many Germans knew of Kohl's trip, knew where Milwaukee is
situated and how many German- Americans live  there?  In addition
to their practical experience, trips of state leaders  are also
of symbolic significance."


   "Chancellor Of 'Unity' Travels To Wisconsin"

   Right-of-center Bayerische Rundschau of Kulmbach stated
(5/25), "The chancellor knows very well: flag-waiving children,
some  entertaining hours among German-Americans and the lavish
praise of the  president and election campaigner Bill Clinton
cannot obscure the fact  that Germans and Americans will
cultivate a rather sober relationship  that will be characterized
by a tough policy of interests in the upcoming stormy times....
With Helmut Kohl, the chancellor of unity traveled to Wisconsin.
He is often sent when it is necessary to help the downtrodden
Eastern Europe  and the ailing Russia.  Germany can lean on
nobody no more, but it has  turned into an important pillar on
which East and West are leaning."


   "More Than An Election Campaign"

   Walther Stuetzle maintained in centrist Der Tagesspiegel of
Berlin (5/23), "Only one thing is new regarding this trip of
Chancellor Kohl:  The  formerly closely knit transatlantic net
has alarmingly coarse meshes  today.... The formerly considerable
flow of mutual visits has turned into a small trickle.  Senators
and lawmakers rarely come across the  Atlantic to Europe, and
prominent German politicians have great  difficulties meeting
influential interlocutors in Washington....
   "It is clear that, after the Dayton peace agreement runs out,
a  small force must stay in the Balkans.  And it is also clear
that Kohl cannot be willing to accept a German participation in
such forces without  the support of the United States.  But Bill
Clinton, with a view to the U.S. voters, wants to know how to
find an accordance with the reality in  Bosnia and the claims
during the Berlin conference.  Thus, Kohl's meeting with the
Germans in Milwaukee is only a minor  case, and this in view of
the fact that the election strategist Clinton  knows that there
is no organized German voter group in the United States....
Nevertheless, Kohl has an important task: to strengthen the
links between the United States and Europe and to prevent (the
Germans in  the United States) from looking to Europe only and
ignoring the events in  the United States."


   "The Flip-Side Of Globalization"

   PDS-owned  Neues Deutschland of Berlin commented (5/6),
"Washington will of course officially deny it.  However, one
knows from experience what the words 'no one has an intention to
build a wall', can really mean.  One thing is for sure, the
United States has made a big step in the direction of increasing
anti-foreigner tensions and isolationism.   The overwhelming
majority vote of the Senate to increase border security and speed
up the return of illegal immigrants coupled with reduced social
services is setting a course.  The flip-side of an economic
globalization is the social-political retreat into one's own
borders.   The decision of the Senate, which Clinton demonstrably
applauded, signals the sounds we shall be hearing in the final
part of the election year.   He is the perfect example of the
trend toward prosperity-based protectionism currently being
followed by political parties and largely brought into the
forefront of the election-race by Pat Buchanan.  This
America-first chauvinist, whose influence will continue and
should not be underestimated, has declared that he is the future
of the Republican Party. It gives one a bad feeling when one sees
confirmation of this statement in the actions of others."


   BRITAIN:  "The Credibility Chasm"

   The conservative Times editorialized (5/30), "As Bob Dole
prepares to leave the Senate next month, he faces bad and good
news on his electoral prospects. The bad is the consensus that
the November contest is Bill Clinton's to lose.  The good is
that recent events suggest this is what he might do....
Whitewater is but one factor that raised doubts about the
president.... Character issues are always an element in
presidential elections.  That is quite proper, given
that the role is part symbolic head of state as well as head of
government. Many Democrats were willing to ask questions about
Ronald Reagan's qualities for office.  They will find a formula
for raising the question of Mr. Dole's age this year.
Nonetheless, it is the Clinton character which will come under
scrutiny.  Some 30 years ago, Lyndon Johnson's evasions over the
direction of the Vietnam conflict brought the phrase 'credibility
gap' into the American political lexicon.  Under Bill
Clinton--another southern Democrat with a probity problem--that
gap has widened to a chasm. The electorate will decide what
weight to give it."


   "Mixing In The Wrong Company"

   The liberal Guardian held (5/30), "If anything can save the
fortunes of presidential challenger Bob Dole, it is the new
impetus now given to Whitewatergate by Tuesday's verdict in
Little Rock.   No one should be held entirely responsible for his
or her friends, but this goes a long way beyond accidental
entanglement.  Mr. Clinton's testimony was not central....  But
Republican opponents (not Mr. Dole who remains sanctimoniously
above it all) can now crow that the jurors preferred the evidence
of a convicted felon. The complexities of Whitewater need a very
large flowchart to explain.  As one Republican consultant said
cheerfully yesterday: 'The public doesn't understand the issue or
what went on.'  But the Clintons are only mired more deeply by
the confusion.  Whatever the details, they certainly chose the
wrong partners for their unfortunate land venture in the Ozarks
near the yet more unfortunately-named Crooked Creek.  Their best
defense appears to be that most small- town politicians get
tangled up with people who are slightly dubious.  Perhaps, but
they don't all go on to become president of the big country."


   "Whitewatershed"

   The conservative tabloid London Evening Standard said (5/29),
"The most significant feature of the trial was that an American
jury wouldn't believe the word of the U.S. president who had
voluntarily chosen to testify on behalf of his friends.  This
could have been because the evidence against the three men (sic)
was overwhelming.  Or perhaps it is a sign of a growing trend in
America and indeed all Western democracies:  The public has
become profoundly cynical about politicians....  The Republicans
smell blood and the cumulative effect of 'Whitewatergate' might
yet bring Mr. Clinton down.  However, he has a long way to fall.
There are still five months to go before the election and
according to the polls, the president is still well ahead of his
opponent, the lackluster Bob Dole.  The Americans have an
unenviable choice in November between two of the least
inspirational figures in public life."


   "It Doesn't Look Or Smell Good"

   BBC Radio's Today program (5/29) led with this from Washington
correspondent Philip Short:  "Mr. Clinton stands accused of no
crime, and in his videotaped evidence at the trial strenuously
denied any wrongdoing.  But the fact that his former friends and
close business associates James and Susan McDougal have been
found guilty of carrying out a multi-million pound fraud, at the
same time as they were making apparently legitimate investments
on behalf of Mr. Clinton and his wife Hillary, raises questions
about his judgement, if not his character.  And casting doubt on
Mr. Clinton's character is the centerpiece of the Republicans'
strategy in this year's presidential election.
   "In comments after the verdict, Mr. Clinton sought subtly to
distance himself from the case....  But the verdicts have given
new impetus to ongoing investigations into the president's
conduct, by Congress and by a grand jury, and in an election year
any hint of wrongdoing, no matter how arcane, will be grist to
the political mill of his Republican opponents."


   "Kohl, Clinton Meet For Summit Of Heavyweights"

   The Times reported (5/23), "Helmut Kohl, the German
chancellor, and President Clinton meet in Wisconsin today for
what the White House calls a summit but others are dubbing the
'Nosh of the century.'...   A similar encounter in 1994 between
the 15-stone American and the 21-stone German, once likened to a
sumo wrestler by Mr. Clinton, has entered Washington folklore....
The president invited Herr Kohl to Milwaukee because Wisconsin
has a huge German- American population and Mr. Clinton badly
needs to win the state in November's presidential election.
Advance teams of American and German officials visited the city
to sample possible restaurants, but their choice remained a
closely guarded secret yesterday....
   "Between mouthfuls, the two men will discuss several weightier
matters including Europe's objection to American legislation that
would impose sanctions on foreign firms and executives who trade
with Iran, Libya and Cuba. Germany does considerable business
with Iran and believes it has helped to moderate Tehran's
conduct, but Washington believes the world's leading exporter of
terrorism should be treated as a pariah.  It is good
election-year politics for Mr. Clinton and he is not expected to
relent."


   "'Dolespeak' Or 'Gushing Bubba-Speak'?"

   The centrist Independent's Washington correspondent Rupert
Cornwell observed (5/23),  "I've missed George Bush, badly....
The gap in my life has been what he said, or rather the way he
said it--in other words, Bushisms.  For those of us who observed
first hand the Demosthenes of modern American presidents in
action between 1989 and 1993, the very phrase has one quivering
with laughter.  No one, surely, could ever replace George Herbert
Walker Bush's way with syntax, which could turn any public
appearance into Saturday Night Live.  Certainly not Bill Clinton,
who speaks in textbook sentences with a recognizable beginning,
middle and end, who forces no metaphor, whose chain of thought is
quite maddeningly clear.  But three and a half years on, happy
days are here again.  I refer to the dawning era of Dolespeak....
   "The man basically hates talking, and is profoundly suspicious
of anyone who enjoys it....  But the basic failing of both Bush
and Dole is identical:  An inability to articulate what passed
through the brain.  With Bush the result was discombobulated
goofiness.  With Dole it is a terse, tongue-tied shorthand....
But do not be over-hasty in writing off Bob Dole in this autumn's
three presidential debates against the super-smooth,
super-articulate Bill Clinton.  For one things, he has acquired a
new speechwriter, the novelist Mark Helprin, who produced the
gloriously sappy speech with which Dole announced his resignation
from the Senate last week....
   "Second, there's his accent.  Bush's preppy pseudo-Texan
fooled no one.  But Dole is an authentic product of the prairies,
speaking the 'north midland' dialect of the U.S. heartlands.
Language scientists have found that of all the important dialects
and accents, it is the one that Americans relate to and trust the
most--more certainly than the gushing Bubba-speak now emanating
from the White House. But to exploit this asset properly, Dole
must find something interesting to say.  In other words, George
Bush's pesky old 'vision thing.'  At which point, a growly shade
descends by my ear.  'Workin' on it,' it mutters. Whatever."

   ITALY:  "Clinton's Troubles"

   Left-leaning, influential La Repubblica (5/30) contended, "The
Whitewater verdict has had the  effect of a 'twister' on U.S.
politics....  The Little Rock 'twister' has hit America, has
reached Washington, has given new hope to the Republicans, has
demoralized the White House, and has encouraged the
investigation of Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr.  And it has de
facto reopened the electoral battle between Clinton and Dole....
With elegant  indifference, Dole has not attacked the Democrats
on...Whitewater...thus far.  But it is obvious that the party
will take care of that, both with television spots and in the
Congressional investigation  headed by Alphonse D'Amato.
   "Clinton will be forced to defend himself, and, as a matter of
caution and for good luck, to remove the champagne bottles from
the refrigerator."


   "America 'Home For All':  A Vanishing Legend"

   Piero Sansonetti wrote in PDS (former Communist Party) organ
L'Unita (5/6), "The United States is strengthening its borders.
Not only symbolically:  The border with Mexico will be entirely
protected by a barrier.  The legend of America as the 'home for
all' is vanishing.  The legislation approved yesterday by the
Senate [on immigration] is not the hyper-reactionary law asked
for by the Republicans, but it is nonetheless a severe law.  The
Democrats voted in favor of the new law, but Clinton said he does
not like it."


   AUSTRIA:  "Wild Waters, Small Tricklets"

   Conservative Die Presse (5/30) held, "After (Mr. Clinton) made
a video statement as a witness for the defense--with no effect,
as it turned out now, in the White House, they made the job very
easy for themselves, with the remark that the president had
appeared just as a witness and not in the dock, and with the
terse information that Clinton's presidential activities were not
affected at all....  On the other hand:  After three years of
Whitewater whirl, which the Clinton couple has survived so far
and during which the one, real scandal did not blow up, the odds
are in their favor now....  A scandal around the office-holder is
probably the only chance for Dole&Co to regain lost territory....
But even that is not at all certain. Because after three years of
too much talking about an offense which is, at the worst,
absolutely unacceptable, but legally rather minor, the question
remains if the majority of the population would therefore reject
Clinton as president.  There would be many more and probably much
better reasons for that--who cares about shady real-estate
deals?"


   BELGIUM:  "Painful Verdict In The Midst Of The Campaign"

   According to independent Le Soir (5/30), "The verdict does not
directly affect the Clintons, but it is definitely
devastating....  The verdict....reactivates the polemic. Even in
the absence of decisive disclosures, the continuation of
investigations could impinge on the election campaign and push to
the forefront the unflattering image of the close world of
Arkansas at a moment when Bill Clinton thought that, thanks to
the prestige of his function, he had overcome doubts about his
moral fiber."


   "Unfortunate Timing"

   BRTN radio remarked (5/29) on the verdicts that "the affair
comes at a very bad moment now that a presidential election is
going on."


   SPAIN:  "Clinton's Credibility At Stake Because Of The
            Whitewater Verdict"

   Independent El Mundo (5/30) ran this report from New York:
"Justice pursues Clinton at the worst possible time.  If the
Whitewater verdict has seriously questioned his honesty and
reputation, the imminent trial of the bankers who financed
his1990 campaign threatens with exposing him even more."

   "Verdicts Could Harm Clinton"

   Conservative ABC (5/30) wrote from New York, "The outcome of
the Arkansas trial brought forward the dangers of derailment for
Clinton's  November campaign. Yesterday's verdicts made the
Clintons shiver.  Bob  Dole is a weak candidate and with a strong
economy, Clinton's risks of losing the White House are reduced to
either a scandal of this type or a fiasco in his foreign policy."


   SWITZERLAND:  "Another Harsh Blow For Clinton"

   Center-right Journal de  Gen ve's Washington correspondent
Paul Sigaudor (5/30) remarked, "Although the judgment doesn't
concern him directly, his image has been tarnished--and it's no
surprise his political adversaries are triumphantly claiming that
this  case wasn't as contrived as the White House insisted....
   "Americans have a charming saying--butterflies in the
stomach--and  Bill Clinton's got them.  Starr is clearly capable
of uncovering, at any moment, a new 'bomb' whose shrapnel could
reach not only the president  but also the first lady.
Furthermore, the three guilty parties--al very close to the
Clintons--give the impression that some of the truth remains to
be revealed.  Why would they alone have lied?  Is Clinton to be
trusted?   Bob Dole intends to turn this affair to his
advantage."


   SOUTH ASIA

   INDIA: "War Veterans Slam Clinton"

   The centrist Hindu ran this article by Sridhar Krishnaswami
(5/29), "On Memorial Day in the United States...President Bill
Clinton was facing the ire of veterans and veteran groups on the
claim that he is on 'active duty' in the military by virtue of
being the commander-in-chief.  Five recipients of the Medal of
Honor...are taking out full page advertisements in at least 13
national newspapers calling Mr. Clinton's claim of being an
active military man an 'outrage.'...  It is not the first time
that...Clinton has had to face embarrassing moments and protest
over his military service or in the extent to which he tried and
stayed out of military service....  That the Republicans are
trying to make the best out of the opportunity is obvious.
Although senior Republican leaders have stayed out of the fray,
the Republican National Committee has made no bones of the fact
that it is very much behind veteran groups seeking to embarrass
the president....
   "The president successfully weathered the storm at the time of
his campaigning in 1992; and in the three years he has been at
the White House, although this issue comes up every now and then,
Clinton has not been politically hurt.  Some veterans and veteran
groups tried to inflict damage on the Clinton presidency at the
time of the recognition of Vietnam.  That did not materialize and
Clinton did have some important law makers who had served in the
Vietnam on his side to win the argument that it was time to
normalize relations with Hanoi.  In fact veteran groups have now
applauded the president in naming Douglas Peterson, a former
Vietnam war veteran and a prisoner of war there, as the American
ambassador to Vietnam."


   LATIN AMERICA

   MEXICO:  "U.S. Needs Immigrants"

   Left-of-center La Jornada observed (5/28), "Facing the need of
350,000 agricultural workers for this year's harvest, the
association of California farmers has demanded the establishment
of a guest worker program similar to the Bracero program that was
in effect until three decades ago....  Before analyzing the pros
and cons of the proposal it is important to stress that it does
away with the arguments by several xenophobic and racist sectors
of U.S. society to the effect that Mexican workers are a burden
on the U.S. economy and that they take jobs away from U.S.
citizens.... The proposal could be the first step to solving in a
bilateral and rational way the problems that several political
and economic groups in the United States have created regarding
Mexican emigration to the United States.  To do this, it would be
imperative for whatever agreement was reached to specify that the
human, labor and social rights of Mexican workers would be
respected, and that there would be a ban on any form of
discrimination against those workers....  The Mexican government
should ensure that the proposal develops into an instrument to
protect Mexican workers, not to exploit them."


   "Mending Aggressions"

   Nationalist Excelsior (5/8), "History shows that U.S.
mistakes--and very serious ones--made Mexico and the United
States distant neighbors.  However, NAFTA's passage presumed a
new bilateral relationship in which mutual understanding would
lead to more fair dealing with our country as equals and trading
partners.  Although several things indicate the existence of
change, the United States shows its inability to understand
'modern times.'  Even worse, frightening racist demonstrations
against Mexican illegal aliens have taken place in the United
States and the United States has shown an intention to continue
using the fight against international drug trafficking as an
excuse to violate Mexico's sovereignty and independence....
   "Secretary Christopher (at the U.S. Binational Commission
meeting) said that political reforms are taking place in Mexico
to make it more open, with a 'stronger democracy.' Paradoxically,
however, this recognition does not fully mean that a mature
relationship, which respects the human and labor rights of
Mexicans who emigrate, exists.  That is one of the most unfair
aspects of the U.S.-Mexico relationship."


   "Difficult Neighborliness Between Mexico And U.S."

   Nationalist El Universal headlined (5/8) "Cooperation, Not
Recrimination; New Fight Against Drugs And Tough Measures Against
Undocumented (Aliens)."  Nationalist Unomasuno commented
editorially (5/8) under the headline above,  "The 13th
U.S.-Mexico binational commission meeting took place against the
backdrop of the highly complex and sometimes very difficult
bilateral relationship....  However, the 11 agreements signed at
the end of the BNC meeting reflect the political determination of
both governments to improve the two nations' bilateral
relationship.  It is now time to translate those agreements into
actions...particularly regarding the unilateral attitudes about
immigration.... In any event, the recently concluded BNC is a
good example that, with determination and cooperation, we can
have mutual and satisfactory agreements."


   "Christopher's Attitude Was Very Positive"

   An editorial in nationalist El Universal said (5/8), "Eleven
agreements were signed [at the BNC], but the most important
accomplishment is the exchange of positive wishes and beliefs
that recent differences in the U.S.-Mexico relationship will be
overcome.   Secretary Christopher's attitude was very positive.
He advised Mexicans not to pay attention to the anti-Mexican
campaign in the United States stemming from the election year
rhetoric in that country."


   "Encouragement In U.S. Of  Xenophobic Attitudes"

   Nationalist Excelsior opined (4/19), "The encouragement of
xenophobic attitudes leads to ruptures that benefit no one. The
United States and Mexico are destined to live side by side so
they should make the most out of it.  Mexicans have unleashed
hostilities.  However, cheap U.S. politicians have hammered into
the minds of many Americans the absurd idea that Mexican
immigrants affect their social well- being, take their jobs away,
and undermine their civic lfie.  These politicians do so to get
more votes by appealing to unstable emotions.  Nevertheless, U.S.
authorities not involved in electoral struggles should work so
that reason prevails and there is good neighborliness."


   ARGENTINA:   "Waving The Flag Of Xenophobia"

   Monica Flores Correa wrote in left-of-center Pagina 12 (5/5),
"To Bill Clinton, good news piles up on  the economic front, thus
encouraging his expectations of achieving his  dream of being
re-elected....   But the excellent news of one of the richest
economies in the world, including specifically a decreasing
unemployment index, does not have an impact on the furious attack
from both parties,  predominantly Republican, against immigrants.
On Thursday, the Senate  passed a law, with little modifications,
which increases all sorts of  police measures to detect and
persecute illegal aliens....  Amidst the  electoral furor, close
to demagogy, nothing dissuades them that immigrants do not rob
U.S. citizen's jobs.  Nothing, not even the most  obvious
statistics.
   "The Republican Congress decided to continue with these
persecuting  measures, in spite of the opinion of a very big
group of conservative  forces which have joined liberal sectors
in this battle to maintain the United States open to immigration.
The business world wants immigration to exist,  aware of the
benefits that foreign brains bring to diverse areas of
production, among them, technology.... For their part, liberals,
in addition to favoring a society ready to  receive immigration
waves as a consequence of the logic of their  ideology, fear that
a verification system proposed by the law to identify  whether
the applicant to a job is legal or illegal, may lead to an
investigative intrusion of its government....  But not a single
well- founded indication has convinced the  ultra-rightist
Republican wing in Congress, nor Bill Clinton himself, who has
said that he will veto this law because he is against denying
education to illegal aliens' children and against restricting the
access  of illegal foreigners to certain social programs. And
this pro  'scapegoat' crusade is accompanied in a very
opportunistic way by one of  the most liberal and leftist
Democrats, Senator Ted Kennedy. Kennedy  joins his voice against
foreigners, to that of ultra-rightwing,  xenophobic and presumed
nazi supporter Patrick Buchanan.... Taking advantage of a lack of
information and prejudice, political  leadership waves the flag
of xenophobia, knowing that spurring the  people's fears is
easier and provides a great deal more instantaneous  electoral
gratification than rational studies of a situation."


   DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:  "So-Called American Dream"

   Establishment tabloid Ultima Hora held (5/5), "The so- called
'American Dream,' that for many  decades has served as an
incentive for millions of immigrants who have traveled to the
United States in search of wealth and better fortune, has  turned
into a nightmare for many voyagers....  With the exception of
some rural areas where there are still opportunities for the
immigrant laborer without experience, in the large urban centers,
such as New York,  unemployment and economic difficulties affect
even Americans  themselves....  The situation has become
particularly difficult for  illegal immigrants or those who have
an irregular status because of wider  and more severe laws that
impose sanctions on businesses that employ undocumented workers."

   GUATEMALA:  "The Undocumented On Both Sides Of  The Rio
                Grande"

   Nationalistic La Republica ran this piece by Nery Villatoro
Robledo (4/28), "A few weeks ago the press wrote about the savage
beating of undocumented Mexicans at the hands of the INS that led
President Zedillo to issue a strong condemnation and demand that
Bill Clinton's government bring those responsible to justice....
There is no doubt that these fascist practices (exist) with the
pretense of curbing illegal immigration to the most powerful
country to the north....  Those that immigrate to the United
States have to endure a series of horrors from 'coyotes' that
have turned this phenomena into a lucrative industry....  But
this is only one part. Thousands of Guatemalans annually cross
the Mexican border to work on the coffee farms in southern
Mexico. There they suffer like the Mexican workers at the U.S.
border:  poor working conditions, bad treatment, starvation wages
and humiliation at the hands of the Mexican immigration."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   WORLD PRESS: DOLE RESIGNATION: 'STROKE OF GENIUS OR DESPERATE ACT'?

   DIANA MCCAFFREY
   WASHINGTON

   Observers in Europe, Asia and Latin America were mixed in
their reaction to the surprise announcement by presumed
Republican presidential candidate Senator Robert Dole that he was
resigning from the U.S. Senate to devote himself full time to his
presidential campaign.  Opinionmakers held that the reasoning
behind Mr. Dole's decision centered mainly on a desire to
distance himself from a "fractious" Republican majority in
Congress.  London's centrist Independent suggested, "Now he is
free...cutting himself loose from a Congress whose unpopularity
has been a prime reason for his own." Some also said that, by
removing himself from the Washington legislative "swamp," he may
force conservatives to fall in line with him.  While a majority
agreed that Mr. Dole's move was "dramatic," even "breathtaking,"
and may have captured the public's imagination and succeeded in
regaining the initiative "momentarily," many remained unconvinced
that such boldness would be sufficient to revive his candidacy.
A number of analysts pointed out that the Kansas senator was
still lagging far behind in opinion polls, and even after his
announcement, some asserted, American voters "still do not know
what Dole believes in."  Other commentators maintained that in
the American political process, "image"--like it or not--is
important, and that Senator Dole's "gamble is...to make this
election less of a vote on politics...and more about
character"--and may just work.   One European writer judged, "His
all-out bet reinforces the image of honesty and courage which Bob
Dole wants to project against a president whose moral stature is
questioned by part of the electorate."  Antwerp's financial
Financieel-Economische Tijd concluded, however, "The question now
is whether [Dole] will succeed in presenting a more convincing
agenda with which he can make one of his remarks...come true:  'I
want to cure your pain.'"  Several pundits once again cautioned
against predicting a November winner, noting the history of
American electoral surprises.  An Argentine daily warned, "There
are no guarantees that the factors now favoring the Democrats
will be extended and maintained throughout the campaign in the
autumn."
   Meanwhile, some editorials focused on the Republican front
runner's attitude on foreign policy issues:  e.g., Cuba and Asia.
Senator Dole's reported promise to Cuban immigrants in Florida to
"oust" Castro after a Republican win in November was viewed by
European observers as a "scandalous contradiction of the
principles of international law." Madrid's independent El Mundo
remarked:  "Dole has always maintained a radical anti-Castro
position, but had never gone so far as he did in Miami."
Singapore's pro- government Business Times covered Mr. Dole's
speech earlier this month at CSIS in Washington on the "Dole
doctrine for Asia."  The paper was unimpressed, contending that
the senator's approach--"similar to Mr. Clinton's"--was a
"confused mixture of policies aimed at placating political
constituencies, interest groups and bureaucratic players....  At
worst, if [Dole] attempts to implement his hawkish stands on
China, North Korea and Vietnam, he is bound to weaken, not
restore, U.S. leadership in the Pacific."

   This survey is based on 27 reports from 12 countries, May
   16-21.

   EUROPE

   BRITAIN:  "The White House Or Bust"

   The conservative Daily Telegraph (5/17) commented, "Mr. Robert
Dole's resignation from the U.S. Senate in order to stake all
upon the Republican presidential campaign was an act of
breathtaking boldness.  In what was perhaps the most effective
address of his long public career, the Kansan told his
compatriots that he would have 'nowhere to go but the White House
or home'--in other words, up or out.... Considering Washington's
highly porous political culture, Mr. Dole did very well to
achieve complete surprise.  More important still, he is no longer
obliged to spend much of his time mired in the Washingtonian
legislative swamp.... Above all, if yesterday's performance is
anything to go by, he can still find the vocabulary to
distinguish himself from President Clinton."

   "Dole's Surprise"

   The independent Financial Times (5/17) held, "To say that Mr.
Dole's renunciation of his Senate seat has now put him back in
the race would be wrong, for two reasons.  First, it is not clear
yet that this move has changed the dynamics of the campaign.
Second, it was premature to assume that Mr. Dole was out of the
race before he made it.  In breaking away from the Republican
majority in Congress, now seen as extreme and fractious, Mr. Dole
has done something necessary, though not sufficient, to revive
his candidacy. In resigning not only the majority leadership but
his Senate seat, he has for once caught the public imagination
with a grand gesture and so regained the initiative, at least
momentarily.  And with the help of a new speechwriter, he also
showed that he can sometimes strike the right note."

   "A Former Senator From Kansas"

   The liberal Guardian (5/17) observed, "Mr. Dole's friends have
applauded his decision, comparing him variously to an unhooded
falcon and a soaring eagle.  Yet his reputation and experience
has been so much centered in the Senate that no one really knows
if he is capable of spreading his wings."

   "Dramatic, Desperate"

   Private ITN (5/16) said, "This was a dramatic and perhaps even
desperate move by Dole to revive his candidacy.  It is a gamble
for him.  He needed the Senate role as a forum, but his faltering
campaign needed a dramatic move to capture the public's
imagination.  However, those in the know believe it will make
little difference."

   "And Now For The Real Contest "

   The centrist Independent (5/16) said, "Now he is free,
relaunching his campaign, and cutting loose from a Congress whose
unpopularity has been a prime reason for his own.... To the
relief of Republicans across the land and of a political press
corps bored out of its mind, the real contest is now to start.
And if the cameo appearance by Mr. Dole yesterday is any
indication, it could yet be a cracker."

   "Dole's Great Gamble"

   The Guardian (5/16) remarked, "It was the act of a desperate
man....  Even Elizabeth Dole was demanding some 'adult
supervision' of her husband's campaign team, which is out of
money, out of ideas and increasingly out of the running....
Having been defeated on his chosen ground of Capitol Hill, Mr.
Dole is now trying to challenge Mr. Clinton on the campaigning
territory which the president has made his own."

   "Stroke Of Genius Or Desperate Act To Rescue Troubled
   Campaign"

   Washington correspondent Jurek Martin commented in the
Financial Times (5/16), "Yesterday saw the emergence of the new
Bob Dole, wet to the point of blinking back tears where he had
been as dry as the most arcane Senate subcommittee, eloquent
where he had been epigrammatic, humble in his appeal to his
fellow countrymen where he had always been proud....   The
presumed Republican candidate conceded he could not run for
president from the Senate and certainly not from the demanding
position of majority leader....
   "The Dole gamble is, in effect, to make this election less of
a vote on policies, his milieu but a losing proposition so far,
and more about character.  He will have to do something which he
dislikes--talking about himself, where he comes from and what his
values are--in order to make the case that he deserves preference
over Mr. Clinton.  Mr. Dole's action represents a strategic
shift, which can be interpreted as a stroke of genius or an act
of desperation."

   FRANCE:  "Bob Dole Is Leaving The Senate"
   Conservative Le Figaro (5/17) asked, "Can (Bob Dole) win? His

jerky voice contrasts with the smooth  whispering of his
Democratic rival.  This handicap might be fatal during the TV
debates which will feature the two candidates next fall.  Mr.
Dole  tends to campaign on his morality.  He is unquestionably
one of the most  respected politicians in the United States,
including owing to his capacity to overcome the terrible wound he
suffered in 1945 on the Italian front.   But WWII seems to be a
minor concern for a majority of voters.  Mr. Dole,  72, will have
to be imaginative in order to convince them to let  him accompany
them to the threshold of the 21st century."

   GERMANY:  "Dole's  Act of Desperation"

   Left-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau (5/17) said, "A
glittering parliamentary career has come to an end....  Now
because of his presidential ambitions, he has sacrificed his
powerful  positions to concentrate fully on his new goal....  One
can even call  this an act of desperation. The election campaign
of the 72-year-old  cannot get off the ground.  He is 20 or 30
points behind the president in the polls.  He can find no burning
issues to set his campaign in motion  and no presidential
personality that would encourage the American people  to put the
country's highest office once more into the hands of a World War
II veteran. During the next three months, in advance of the party
convention,  Dole must reduce the deficit in the polls in order
to show the  Republicans that it is worth standing by him in the
election  race.  In  other words, this was a very much needed end
to Dole's parliamentary career that will, however, not in itself
bring him any closer to the  White House."

   "Forward Thinking"

   Right-of-center Die Welt of Berlin (5/17) carried the
following commentary:  "Bob Dole's decision...is the combination
of a desperate move to  improve the effectiveness of his campaign
and a throughly logical and correct decision....   His strategy
of using his position as majority  leader to force Clinton on to
the defensive by introducing new policies unacceptable to him
proved a total failure.  In fact, it turned out that  the
Democrats managed to turn these initiatives against him and, as
result, created cracks in the Republican Party for all to see.
Dole, currently 20 points behind in the polls, was losing the
battle of  Pennsylvania Avenue.  As hard as it was for 'Mr.
Washington' to leave office, it was the  right decision.  One
must consider that if he does not make it to the  White House, it
is not conceivable that the 72-year- old could ever have
continued on in his previous role. In other words, his 'retreat'
is as  forward-thinking as it is politically clever.  He had
nothing to lose.  It is however not certain whether this will be
enough to close the  gap on Clinton and to convince voters that a
new 'visionary' Dole is the  man to take America into the next
millennium.
   "At least he now has the  chance to give 100 percent
commitment to his goal.  Maybe he made the decision at  the right
time."

   ITALY:  "Leaving Senate May Be Politically Advantageous"

   Anna Guaita remarked from New York in centrist Il Messaggero
(5/16), "Even among the Democrats there are some who believe that
quitting the Senate may have several political advantages for
Dole.  First of all, he is showing voters how important  the
presidential campaign is for him....  Furthermore, the senator is
distancing himself from Congress and the new Republican majority
formed  by young people who hold extreme positions."

   RUSSIA:  "Dole's Dream Will Remain A Dream"

   Vadim Kotikov said in reformist, youth Komsomolskaya Pravda
(5/21), "The old soldier Dole evidently does not know 'love
words' to touch the American voter's heart....  In the few
remaining months, the candidates can yet change not only the
situation in the country but their own image as well. If
Dole...stands a little chance in that respect, Clinton can do a
lot indeed....  It seems that the senator's 36- year dream of the
presidency will remain a dream for the rest of his life."

   BELGIUM:  "Bob Dole Undergoes Metamorphosis"

   New York correspondent John van Roosendaal wrote in financial
Financieel-Economische Tijd (5/18),  "Whether one likes it or
not, image is important in an American electoral campaign.  With
his surprising decision on Wednesday to leave the Senate no later
that June 11, Dole started a metamorphosis which should turn
Clinton's clear lead into victory for Dole in the November 5
presidential elections....  Dole also made it clear that he is
capable of making drastic decisions without brooding over the
issue for weeks--in contrast to Clinton who endlessly weighs his
words and too often opts for the road of least resistance....
Ultimately, things will depend on the electorate's perception.
Clinton is receiving a lot of praise for his ostensible feeling
of compassion for the ordinary citizen's concerns--symbolized by
his statement 'I feel your pain' in the 1992 campaign.  Dole is
perceived as an honest man--a man who since Wednesday clearly has
felt better than before.  The question now is whether he will
succeed in presenting a more convincing agenda with which he can
make one of his remarks in his speech in Chicago come true:  'I
want to cure your pain.'"

   "One Still Does Not Know What Dole Believes In"

   Francis Unwin wrote in conservative La Meuse/La Lanterne
(5/18),  "Sudden inspiration or beginning of panic, (Dole) has in
any case found moving words--his first good speech-- to announce
that the time had come for him to leave his functions.  He will
run without mandate or authority, as a simple citizen.  'It will
be the White House or home.'  The man who was once known for his
devastating sense of humor was obviously moved....  This being
the case, he is not saying a word about what his program would be
if he were to be elected.  One still does not know what Dole
believes in. The numerous electoral meetings which he is about to
hold across America will perhaps shed some light on this decisive
element.  But it is not absolutely certain.  In the world's only
superpower, presidential campaigns usually fly rather low."

   "It Will Be Difficult"

   Independent Le Soir (5/17) commented, "It will be difficult
for Bob Dole to campaign as an 'outsider' against an incumbent
and popular president because of the 'anti- Washington' climate
prevailing in the country.  His entourage emphasizes on the other
hand that he will now be able to express his project, his
'vision.'  Relieved of the requirement to coordinate future
congressional compromises, Bob Dole should no longer have to
explain political issues in terms of subcommittees and of
amendments.... The other, not insignificant consequence of Bob
Dole's 'coup' is to force the conservatives to fall in line with
him.  Giving up a career to which he has attached more than to
anything else, he is entitled to expect the solidarity of
Republicans who weakened him by displaying their divisions.
Finally, in a campaign in which 'character' constantly appears as
a benchmark, this all-out bet reinforces the image of honesty and
courage which Bob Dole wants to project against a president whose
moral stature is questioned by part of the electorate."

   BULGARIA:  "Pre-election Warnings"

   Left-leaning Kontinent (5/21) observed, "Bob Dole promised
Cuban immigrants in Florida to  overthrow Castro's regime after
he wins the election in November....  Dole's statement is a
scandalous contradiction of the principles of international law.
It's  interesting in what way he will try to fulfill his promise.
A military intervention will call forth worldwide protests, and
it will be doomed to fail.  On the other hand, the economic
sanctions against Havana have not brought any substantial
results, because it is only the United States that observes them.
Moreover, Washington was accused of violating the regulations of
the WTO and the UN General Assembly voted against the American
economic sanctions....  However, it's good news that Dole's
rating is 20% lower than Clinton's and he has almost no chance of
becoming President even with the votes of the Cuban immigrants."

   SPAIN:  "Dole Promises To Oust Castro"

   Independent El Mundo (5/21) ran this correspondent's report
from Washington:  "Dole did not explain how he intends to oust
the one whom he called  'assassin' several times but, since the
Helms-Burton act is in place and it  reinforces the economic
embargo, there are no alternatives to legally affect the Castro
regime even more.  This is why many of those present at  the
Miami meeting interpreted Dole's words as a clear reference to
the use of force.  Dole has always maintained a radical
anti-Castro position but  had never gone so far as he did in
Miami."

   EAST ASIA

   SINGAPORE:  "Dole's Asia Policy:  Confused"

   The pro-government Business Times carried an opinion piece by
Washington correspondent Leon Hadar (5/17), "Last week, I joined
some of Washington's leading foreign policy hands, including
former secretaries of state, members of Congress, think-tank
analysts, government officials, columnists and television
reporters, to cover...Bob Dole's long-awaited address on U.S.
policy toward Asia.  The mood at CSIS in Washington was one of
excitement.  It was supposed to be the best show in town, a
political high noon--the presumptive Republican presidential
candidate assaulting President Clinton's incoherent and
inconsistent agenda in Asia and proposing a new blueprint for
post-Cold War U.S. policy in the Pacific....  Unfortunately, Mr.
Dole's grand foreign policy event ended up giving birth to a
minor rhetorical muse....  Instead, Mr. Dole seemed to be just
another Washington politician running for president and reciting
the lines scripted for him by his many Asia advisers, who include
such figures as Senator John McCain and former National Security
aide Doug Paal.
   "In fact, Mr. Dole's foreign policy team and the Republican
Party establishment, not unlike Mr. Clinton's diplomatic crew and
the Democratic Party leadership, include a strange mix of
opposing Asia and trade policy ideas: protectionists who want
huge tariffs on China and Japan (Pat Buchanan) and free-traders
who call for free-trade areas with Japan and Singapore (Steve
Forbes); anti- communist figures like Jesse Helms who bash China
and realpolitik types like Henry Kissinger who want to co-opt
Beijing; internationalists such as Richard Lugar who stress U.S.
military commitments in Asia, and isolationists like the young
House Republicans who express skepticism over U.S. involvement in
that region.
   "Not surprisingly, Mr. Dole sounded...too much like, well,
President Clinton: talking from both sides of his mouth on China
and Japan, supplying no real sense of leadership on Asia, and
reaching for the safe political consensus on such controversial
issues as Beijing trading status or relations with Vietnam.  The
Dole doctrine for Asia and his trade approach would, at best, be
similar to those of Mr. Clinton--that is, a confused mixture of
policies aimed at placating political constituencies, interest
groups and bureaucratic players.  At worst, if he attempts to
implement his hawkish stands on China, North Korea and Vietnam,
he is bound to weaken, not restore, U.S. leadership in the
Pacific.  In that case, America's partners in the region would
start feeling nostalgic for the Clinton era."

   THAILAND:  "Bob Dole's Kamikaze"

   Sensationalist Khao Sod opined (5/18), "Dole's persistent
trailing after President Clinton by 20 percentage points in
popularity rating for the past few months...had threatened to
completely ruin his November presidential election bid if nothing
was done....  While most Republicans viewed Dole's move as an act
of a truthful and brave man, the Democrats viewed it as Dole's
helplessness and hopelessness....  Political analysts, meanwhile,
thought the resignation would benefit his campaign because it has
freed him from Democrats' attacks at whatever he did and decided
in the Senate."

   LATIN AMERICA

   ARGENTINA:  "Dole Wants To Be 'Full Time'"

   Left-of-center Pagina 12 carried the following commentary
(5/16):  "Everything indicated that Dole had to strike a dramatic
blow in some direction, whatever it could be, in a campaign that
was dwindling so pathetically that it seemed it had no strength,
not even to make it to the August convention. In brief we will
see if the choice was a correct one, especially in terms of
fund-raising: an extremely critical factor at present.  Another
key factor, especially for Republicans, is that Dole's
resignation from the Senate means distancing himself from the
radicalized conservatism of the legislature and from Newt
Gingrich.... Insistently presented as 'extremists' by Democrats,
Republicans need to confirm the image of moderation that Dole
usually projects. Nevertheless, the negative alternatives
surrounding his campaign and his bad position in the polls six
months before the presidential elections, the lack of support
from American women and the impression that Republicans are
leaning too much to the right, does not mean that the outcome for
the candidates has already been decided.  In surveys, voters
continue to have doubts regarding Clinton's honesty and
convictions and keep insisting that the country is going in the
wrong direction. Therefore there are no guarantees that the
factors now favoring the Democrat will be extended and maintained
throughout the campaign in the autumn."

   URUGUAY:  "Polls Grant Clinton Advantage; But Sometimes Polls
              Fail"

   Leftist weekly Mate Amargo (5/16) commented, "Polls grant a
significant advantage to President Clinton in the upcoming
November elections, although the truth is that sometimes polls
fail, even in the country which invented them and which makes
more use of them (than any other country).   A good product of
the Sixties, and in deference to Kennedy-- one of the first ones
to promote intervention in Southeast Asia--Clinton opposed the
Vietnam War and (according to his political opponents) evaded,
without any consequences, the (nation's) call to arms.  These
circumstances seem to have helped Clinton's career considerably
in a country that was leavinig behind 'the Vietnam syndrome' to
censure that war and consider it a lamentable mistake."

   "Dole:  Fighting--Clinton-Style"

   Economic, conservative El Observador commented (5/16), "In the
beginning, Bob Dole's strategy was based on his legislative
performance, but as this didn't work he announced his decision to
go out to shake hands with millions of voters, getting together
with people in a coffee shop in Iowa, and having lunch with the
truckers of Montana.  In other words: he's trying to fight
Clinton on his terms.  Dole has realized just now that in the
United States, you don't win the elections in Washington and that
trying to beat Clinton at his own game has also turned out to be
a very poor strategy."
   ---------------

   ---------------
   FREE OFFER FROM PUBLISHER

          "CLIP" NEWS SERVICE

          INEWS DAILY IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH E-MAIL

          FREE TRIAL

          LOW COST ROYALTY FREE REPRODUCTION RIGHTS AVAILABLE

   International News E-Wire Service (INEWS) is an English
language daily, covering news of the world.  INEWS provides
up-to-date and accurate world news.  It also includes many
features and interviews covering such topics as current events,
politics, economics, science, medicine, history, technology,
agriculture, religion, and music.

   Low cost republication rights are available allowing articles
to be used on BBSs, in newsletters, advertising, LANs, weeklies,
community newspapers, school newspapers, brochures, media kits,
presentations, church bulletins, and more.

   Every day, INEWS gathers reports filed by correspondents
stationed at 26 news bureaus throughout the world.  INEWS relates
first-hand coverage of stories from news bureaus in Abidjan,
Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bonn, Cairo, Chicago, Geneva, Hong
Kong, Islamabad, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles,
Miami, Moscow, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, Paris, Prague, Rio
de Janeiro, San Jose, Tokyo, Vienna, and Washington, D.C.

   Daily INEWS service is available for less than $4.00 a month.

   Delivered through E-mail in one of two versions, plain text or
a DOS/VGA version.  The DOS/VGA version is sent either through
E-mail, encoded, or through file transfer on America Online,
Compuserve, or Prodigy.

   A free two week trial can be received by sending E-mail
containing E-mail address, name and address to:

   INTERNET: [e-mail]
   AOL: INEWS
   COMPUSERVE: 76725,3622
   WORLD WIDE WEB: http://members.aol.com/inewscirc/inews.html
   --------------
   ***END OF FILE***