Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Leading Democrat takes over AIPAC Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 17:35:41 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \SS (WS) \HD Leading Democrat takes over AIPAC \BY FROM COMBINED DISPATCHES \DT BOSTON BOSTON - Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Steve Grossman, a millionaire with strong ties to the incoming Clinton administration, said yesterday he has been named head of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful pro-Israeli lobby. Mr. Grossman will replace former AIPAC President David Steiner, who resigned early this month after boasting about his influence with President-elect Bill Clinton and White House Chief of Staff James A. Baker III. His comments and resignation were first reported in The Washington Times. Mr. Grossman, 46, the head of his family's envelope business, is a liberal-leaning Democrat who contributed heavily to the Democratic National Committee in the recent election. "Out of adversity comes opportunity," Mr. Grossman said when asked about his predecessor's troubled departure. "Our goals are nothing less than to strengthen the U.S.-Israeli relationship." Mr. Grossman, who will step down from his position as party chairman, said he became acting president and chief executive officer of AIPAC yesterday. The AIPAC executive committee must vote on his formal nomination to the post Feb. 9. Mr. Grossman has been a vice president of AIPAC for four years. He said he has taken positions in the past that might be considered dovish. He said his views are closer to those of Labor Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who has offered to make concessions to achieve peace, than those of the more hard-line Likud Party. AIPAC has more than 50,000 members and is considered one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington. Mr. Grossman, of Newton, described his relationship with Mr. Clinton as "warm and cordial." He met Mr. Clinton in early 1989, and although he first supported Massachusetts' Paul Tsongas in the 1992 presidential primaries, he switched allegiance to Mr. Clinton before the New York primary in April. Mr. Grossman and his wife each contributed the maximum $1,000 allowed to Mr. Clinton's campaign, and the Grossmans gave more than $200,000 to the Democratic National Committee between 1989 and November. Mr. Steiner resigned as AIPAC president Nov. 3 after statements he made to a prospective contributor raised questions about the lobbying group's connections with Mr. Clinton. In a taped telephone conversation, obtained by The Times, with a man he believed would back pro-Israel politicians, Mr. Steiner said his organization was "negotiating" with Mr. Clinton over who would be secretary of state and national security adviser in the new administration. "We have a dozen people in [Mr. Clinton's] headquarters," Mr. Steiner, a DNC trustee, told Harry Katz, a New York City businessman who said he wanted to contribute $100,000 to candidates supported by AIPAC. "And they are all going to get big jobs. . . . I'll tell you I have friends on the Clinton campaign, close associates. [Vice President-elect Al] Gore is very committed to us." Neither AIPAC nor Mr. Steiner disputed the authenticity of the tape. Mr. Steiner described what he said was a secret negotiation with Mr. Baker in which "I got almost a billion dollars in other goodies [besides stated U.S. aid to Israel] that people don't even know about." Because AIPAC is a registered lobbying group, it cannot under federal law raise money for congressional or presidential candidates or recommend to potential contributors whom to give money to. When Mr. Katz asked who Mr. Steiner thought would be secretary of state under Mr. Clinton, Mr. Steiner said, "I don't know yet; we're negotiating." Asked whether AIPAC would have a role in the selection, Mr. Steiner said, "We'll have access." Mr. Steiner spoke candidly of animosity he felt toward President Bush and Mr. Baker. Referring to allegations that Mr. Baker used an expletive to describe Jews, which Mr. Baker denied, Mr. Steiner said: "Do you think I'm ever going to forgive him for that? . . . Do you think I could ever forgive Bush for what he did September 12 a year ago, what he said about the Jews for lobbying in Washington?" Mr. Bush had criticized the lobbying efforts of pro-Israel groups during the congressional debate over $10 billion in loan guarantees by the United States to Israel, which were later approved. In response to written questions from The Times, AIPAC specifically denied many of Mr. Steiner's claims, including that the organization played a role in a "deal" with Mr. Baker, and that it was negotiating with Mr. Clinton on political appointees. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM