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: Knives honed in GOP Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 19:23:58 EST Message-ID: \SE A \HD Knives honed in GOP \SH House factions face showdown \BY Major Garrett \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES As Republicans try to rebuild from President Bush's defeat, one of the first showdowns in the coming struggle between moderates and conservatives will occur in next month's House leadership elections. Top leadership will remain the same. Minority Leader Bob Michel and Minority Whip Newt Gingrich will, by previous agreement, make sure neither is challenged. But races for lower echelon positions will highlight the stylistic tension between accommodation and combativeness that have pitted these two leaders, and sizable segments of the party, against one another. Most House Republicans are waiting for Bill Clinton's economic proposals before deciding whether to comply or pounce. If his plans are viewed as more centrist than liberal, they see the possibility of helping the new president much as the Democratic moderates assisted Ronald Reagan in his first term. "If his instincts are truly in the center, I think he'll find a lot of commonality," said Rep. Scott Klug of Wisconsin, a member of the Gang of Seven that confronted the Democratic leadership over the House bank and other perks. "Frankly, he may need us very badly." Several senior House Republican aides, representing moderates and conservatives, said they expect Republicans to help Mr. Clinton resist pressures from the left wing of his party to propose higher taxes and greater spending than he campaigned for. "Clinton campaigned rhetorically from the center," said Tony Blankley, spokesman for Mr. Gingrich. "If he presents his issues, we will be his loudest supporters. If he tries to govern from the left, we will run wild against him." The latter possibility is what most troubles some moderate Republicans. They worry that a combative approach will rob the party of a constructive voice in the new government at a time when voters appear fixated with movement, not ideological skirmishes. "You will get greater clarity if opposition is developed by the broad base of the party," said Rep. Nancy Johnson of Connecticut. Mrs. Johnson and other moderates worry that if conservatives take over key leadership posts they will fight most Clinton proposals - thus losing any chance of contributing to bills that eventually become law. "We're going to have to be very careful to base our opposition on principles," she said. Mrs. Johnson and others recently tried to dramatically alter the House GOP leadership. They wanted to abolish all leadership posts, with the exception of the minority leader and minority whip. The leader would then appoint a 12-member panel to generate unified party positions on key issues. Conservatives saw this as a power grab by moderates who feared they could not defeat conservatives in upcoming leadership elections, an assertion Mrs. Johnson denies. "They are orbiting off on their own," Mrs. Johnson said of the conservatives. "They are not feeding the party. It trivializes us." Voter anger over the House bank scandal, which Republicans fanned, cost the party three top House leaders. Michigan's Guy Vander Jagt, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and Oklahoma's Mickey Edwards, chairman of the GOP Policy Committee, lost in primaries. Vin Weber of Minnesota, secretary of the GOP conference, retired in the wake of 125 overdrawn checks and with a distaste for the bruising campaign ahead. Races for these and other vacancies will pit conservatives against moderates and serve as an early venue for the type of squabbles the party must settle as it looks for a new agenda and voice. The sharpest contrast will pit conference Chairman Jerry Lewis against challenger Dick Armey of Texas. Mr. Lewis, the No. 3 ranking House Republican, is a moderate who privately detests the tactics of Mr. Gingrich, who delights with other conservatives in obstructing and attacking the Democratic leadership. Mr. Armey is closely aligned with Mr. Gingrich and hopes to use his ranking position on the Joint Economic Committee as a platform to deliver the GOP indictment against the economic policy of the Clinton administration. Another dividing line, besides style, will be over who supported the 1990 budget deal and who opposed it. Conservatives frustrated with the president's lukewarm commitment to supply-side economics will argue the deal hurt Mr. Bush and dozens of GOP challengers who had to swim against recessionary tide it helped unleash. Mr. Lewis supported the president and the budget deal, arguing the White House needed friends, not enemies within its own party. Mr. Armey and Mr. Gingrich opposed the deal and are eager to push the party back toward a low-tax, supply-side message. Neither Mr. Lewis nor Mr. Armey would grant interviews. Both are aggressively seeking votes for the Dec. 7 election. Mr. Armey has contributed more than $36,000 to Republican incumbents and challengers and Mr. Lewis has contributed more than $30,000 directly to GOP candidates. 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