European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bush so bad copy John Sununu pushes Power Over personality by David Lauter and James Gerstenzang los Angeles times the phrase was political dynamite. Speaking to a group of republicans last fall White House chief of staff John h. Sununu called anti drug proposals put Forward by Senate judiciary committee chairman Joseph r. Biden jr., d-del., Quot mostly  the Barb Cut deep because Biden had been driven from the 1988 presidential race by charges that he plagiarized a Campaign speech from a British politician. A Sununu aide proceeded to rub in the insult by circulating the Bossy remark to reporters. The hot tempered Biden hit the roof and Sununu appeared to have needlessly alienated a key Senate committee chairman. But recently when the White House needed the vote of one More senator to defeat a Pivotal amendment to the clean air act Sununu called on Biden who had been counted As favouring the amendment. When the Roll was called Biden voted the administration s Way. Bush won 50-49. That episode says a lot about George Bush a right hand Man. In Washington personality matters. But Power matters More and John Sununu has it. The former governor of new Hampshire who had no Washington experience was at first dismissed even by Many congressional republicans As Quot basically a country bumpkin Quot said rep. Dana Rohrabacher a Calif. But today he has emerged As the unrivalled no. 1 among Bush s advisers. From his Corner office a few Yards West of Bush a Sununu pursues the presidents modest Domestic policy goals with immodest ferocity. When Bush took office most forecasters expected conciliation Compromise and Only limited Success. But 14 months later the administration s record looks far More aggressive a and far better. The president has made each of his 10 vetoes stick despite the heavily democratic Congress. Quot Bush has always liked to be surrounded by Tough people Quot said one senior White House official. Quot it enables him to appear softer and More  and the 5-foot 9-Inch, 190-Pound Sununu fits right into that pattern. Machiavelli wrote that a Leader must usually chose Between being liked and being feared. With Sununu at Bush a Side the White House gets both. Sununu has placated conservative activists by blocking some appointments. He has served As a convenient foil for White House publicists who often prefer to portray Bush As less conservative than he really is. And he has settled a few scores. Proud of his background As a state chief executive a his memo pads Bear the words Quot from governor John h. Sununu Quot a the chief of staff delights in proving that he can prevail despite his inexperience in Washington. Proud too of his training As an Engineer a a doctorate from Mit with a thesis on fluid mechanics a Sununu is inclined to use his scientific background to overpower those who Lack it. He can appear insensitive even dismissive toward those whose approach to issues lacks his analytic rigor. Unlike Many senior government officials he Seldom tries to conceal his views or cover his tracks. Earlier this year for example Sununu criticized Congress for giving Quot anybody with an idea a platform Quot even if their policy views were not backed by Good science. Quot you Are much too fair Quot he told legislators at a Republican conference. Quot he tends to react very quickly sometimes before he a heard the whole Story because he a such a Quick study Quot said one aide echoing a comment made by several other officials most of whom agreed to discuss their Boss Only on condition of anonymity. Witty sometimes biting Tough sometimes Mea Sununu and his temper have become a popular subject in Washington. In a recent dinner speech Bush joked that he had to remind Sununu during the colombian drug Summit in february to Quot bite the Taco shake the  Sununu himself in an interview described his approach As Quot the Courtesy of clarity. There Are times when you want people to know unambiguously that you re not Happy with what they did. You can spend two hours in a Long circuitous discussion. Or you can say a dammit that a not right go Back and do it  Quot Sununu has a Quot historic inability to suffer fools and in Washington there Are a lot of fools Quot said Jay Smith the Washington political consultant who managed Sununu s new Hampshire campaigns. From the beginning Smith said Quot the question was whether Sununu would be Able to play the  at the outset of the administration the accepted Wisdom in Washington was that he could not. He might serve As the administration s in House conservative it was thought but he would be eclipsed by Bush s longtime Friend Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii and by Baker s protege budget director Richard g. Darman. Quot there was a perception that i was an outsider and therefore would have trouble coping. A perception that nobody can survive in Washington that is not a Washington product Quot Sununu said. Critics also focused on the group of aides he hired. His staff members Are still widely characterized As one administration official put it As Quot Nice Guys but. Not Independent  in recent months Sununu has held up approval of an agreement on wetlands Protection that had been reached by the environmental Protection Agency and the army corps of engineers. He has delayed a decision on whether to ban Oil White House chief of staff John Sununu a there Are times when you want people to know unambiguously that you re not Happy with what they did. A drilling off the California coast. He helped tone Down a Bush speech on global warming that Epa officials had helped draft. Initially the White House seemed Happy to maintain a Public perception that Sununu was the administration s environmental holdout. But when repeated stories began to Foster the image that Bush was being led about by his chief of staff administration officials changed their tune. Bush personally tried to dispel the impression Quot that Sununu is putting words into the Mouth of the  Sununu he said is Quot very respectful of where i want to see us go in terms of Federal participation in environmental matters also knows that i am determined not to shut this country Down and throw everybody out of  Sununu while not denying that he has Strong views insists that he plays the role of an Quot honest broker Quot within the White House. Quot when the president has questions i know hell ask Quot Sununu said. Quot i wait until he cares to hear my  on the environment Bush made Campaign promises that he has been reluctant to redeem. Allowing Sununu to serve As what White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater called his environmental Quot lightning Rod Quot has helped Bush escape severe political damage. On some issues most notably abortion Sununu who has eight children Quot holds Down the right flank Quot As one White House official put it. On others such As the minimum wage and the clean air act Sununu has taken a Middle position on the spectrum of Bush s advisers a relatively narrow band in which there Are no liberals. But what makes Sununu stand out among the relatively colourless while House staff is his personality. Nothing in his appearance signals the snarling watchdog that is his image in Washington. He greets questions about his temper with a beatific smile. His parents whose last name Means Quot lit Birds in colloquial arabic emigrated from j Lebanon to Cuba where Sununu was born in 1939. Sununu a scientific leanings a he delights in teasing himself with impossibly Complex mathematical word puzzles and writing seemingly interminable equations in a precise Engineer s hand a Are uncommon in Washington. Quot in be often said i m going to die and Engineer not an old politician a he said. He often approaches issues differently from the lawyers who dominate Washington s top ranks. Quot an Engineer will do an analysis an work things out and then draw a conclusion Quot he said. As for the Law e said Quot there is a profession where the conclusion is drawn first and then the rationalization and the analysis follow. Sununu a personality recurrently threatens to become a liability on adviser recalls watching As Sununu glanced at a Magazine Story that q a member of Congress who Calle Quot mean . By this account Sununu perked up Quot heh look. Now that a what i Regar  Sununu says he recall the incident. Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes saturday april 14,1990