European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Striate Power on defens Eby Donna Cassata associated press s a his name in Washington and you speak of Power. Watch him closely and you witness a senator exuding the quiet Confidence of competence. Question his ambitions and Sam Nunn will wince making you think he s just another georgian trying to survive the Rigours of the capital. As chairman of the Senate armed services a committee. Nunn s Power will be Felt in the coming months As the Senate weighs major military reductions in a Post cold War atmosphere. In a chamber filled with politicians Nunn gives the impression of being More comfortable crunching Pentagon budget numbers than handing passers by., /. A. A / studious and serious Nunn is often mentioned As a possible presidential candidate in 1992. Yet his most Brazen political deeds of recent years have been confined to work within the democratic party to broaden its base among conservative voters. Nunn at 51, has attained a position in his political life that would bring a proud Grin to the face of his great Uncle and Mentor the late Carl Vinson legendary chairman of the House armed services committee and the Only civilian to have a Navy aircraft Carrier named for him. Quot i Don t think anyone on our Side has figured it out Quot says rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., marvelling at the respect and deference shown by Many senators toward Nunn. In a series of recent speeches Nunn has already staked out his position in the All but certain fight Over military spending. He outlined his preferred level of spending and charged that president Bush a budget is flawed with Quot big Blanks Quot including the absence of an assessment of the threat to . National Security a military strategy in response to the threat the future size of the armed forces How to meet required budget 1. Cuts and the need for major weapons. Bush s budget Nunn said is based on a 1988 threat and a 1988 strategy. He said the Congress would fill in the Blanks if the administration does t. The speeches came four months after defense Secretary Dick Cheney had presented the administration s budget to Congress yet Nunn captured the headlines and set the tone for the debate. Quot he s very focused determined Well reasoned rational and to the Point Quot says rep. John Rowland r-conn., a member of the House armed services committee. Quot he wields his authority very judiciously and fairly and tempera Tely Quot says sen. John Warner of Virginia the ranking Republican on the Senate armed services committee. A the defense budget Falls within the Purview of the armed services panel and As chairman of the panel Nunn is one of a handful of lawmakers who have control Over the largest portion of the Federal budget. Sen. Sam Nunn chairman of the Senate armed services committee during an interview in his Washington office. a s a i f Pago 14 a a a a 1 i. Stars and stripes wed it Nunn oversees the closed door crafting of the defense authorization Bill by the 20-member committee. Once the Bill reaches the Senate floor he is one of two managers who can ensure that an amendment is. Introduced. A a a. A Nunn s Power was never More evident than last september when the Senate working on the $288-billion defense spending Bill restored $600 million for president Bush s strategic defense initiative program.,. Two Days before the vote the Senate had slashed v $900 million from the Star wars program an action that undercut Nunn s position in House and Senate negotiations1 Nunn pleaded with the Senate to Send a message to the House negotiators. The Senate answered the request 53-47, and restored two thirds of the Star wars funds. On the other hand Nunn widely viewed As non partisan took on Bush and his nominee for defense Secretary John Tower. Allegations of womanizing excessive drinking and close ties to military contractors undermined towers selection and Nunn led Senate democrats in handing Bush his first major defeat of the new term. Quot Nunn partisan a complained Senate Republican Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. Yet the wounds inflicted Over the Tower nomination healed quickly and by september it was Nunn who ensured that Bush s military budget was adopted by Congress largely intact a. Sen. John Mccain a Ariz who fought Nunn during the Tower debate says that despite the contentious encounters Nunn is Quot very highly regarded by All of us Republican and Robert costello the former procurement Czar at the Pentagon says simply that Nunn Quot has clout because he has yet Georgia s senior senator who has spent 17 years on Capitol Hill dismisses the suggestion that he wields the Power in the military realm. Quot any time you want to legislate around Here you have to convince an awful lot of people Over a Long period of time to get something accomplished. So whatever Power there is on Capitol Hill is widely diffused Quot Nunn said in an interview. Nunn Learned Early in his career How Congress works when Vinson hired him in 1962 to serve As counsel to the House armed services subcommittee on investigations. A a Vinson did t make the process easy for his grand Nephew dispatching one of the committee s counsels John a Courtney to Georgia to review Nunn s Law school transcript and interview his professors at Emory University. A. Quot Uncle Carl waited until i got the actual results of the bar exam before he hired me Quot Nunn says. The yearlong Job provided a practical education in the Workings of Congress and the military As Well As a sobering introduction to cold War politics. The Overall experience framed Nunn s approach upon his return to private Law practice in his Hometown of Perry a 100 Miles South of Atlanta. Quot it had a big effect on my Reading and my studying and my retention of information that related to Congress not just on the military but in general Quot Nunn says. After four years in the Georgia House of representatives Nunn sought the . Senate seat left vacant by the death of Richard b. Russell who chaired the Senate armed services committee for 16 years. Bui Vinson urged him not to run and telephoned some supporters suggesting that they withhold financial support says rep. Richard Ray d-ga., who Woikey As Nunns administrative assistant for 10 years. Van n had reservations about his Groat Nephew i a a d a n such a task and believed he should Quot run for a a a a. A position Ray says. P. 4 a. A Nunn thou gt., a a co. A 1 her s a. Poi Steo won the primary by a Oion no Quot re word on to win the goner i election. A i Yod a Little seniority when he a was sworn in in a by a to the months of Nunn right with Virginia sen. John Warner ranking Republican on the Senate armed services committee. Russell s term. He was soon named to the armed services committee once there tragedy propelled Nunn into the spotlight when the Panei a chairman sen. John Stennis d-miss., was shot and forced to take time off to recover. Sen. Stuart Symington d-mo., briefly assumed the committee chairmanship and relied on Nunn to handle some of the panel s chores Ore such project was a comprehensive study of nato late in 1973. His report provided the Young senator with his first National publicity. Issues surrounding the 16-member nato Alliance and military personnel proved to be the key for Nunn As he staked out a conservative position on defense Quot he picked his issues very Well in the beginning starting out with manpower and nato both of them very hot Button issues Quot Mccain says. Nunn largely favored increases in military spending during the Reagan years but in March 1987 challenged the administration s interpretation of the anti ballistic missile treaty to allow work on the Star wars missile defense system. Nunn developed a reputation As Quot hard working Bright and knowledgeable Quot says John Isaacs of the Liberal Council for a liable world. Bui the think tanks director believes Nunn is Quot super cautious and unlikely to get himself out on a a Nunn rarely reacts immediately to the latest announcement from the Pentagon or pronouncement from the White House choosing instead to Craft a careful response that is often issued when the rhetoric has died Down a the cautious style comes from Nunn s father who was 50 years old when his son was born. Quot you could ask him a question and he might sit there for five minutes a literally a before he Ever answer 1. Nunn recalls Quot some people would go a a a 1 a b a my so nervous they d ask Mere quo-.1. Of but d be trying to Frame the eng Al a pc act of a pros so Way in a Way that was meaningful Quot aside from his reputation As a defense expert Nunn is Aiso Well known for his proficiency at Golf his Handicap is in the single digits. With Dan Quayle now a member of the executive Branch the Senate Arr Ned services chairman has few rivals for Tho title of lop golfer in the Senate. Warner says Nunn s frugal approach has emerged on the Golf course Quot sometimes you have to hold him Back from wading six feet out into a Pond to recover a Golf Ball Quot the Republican senator said. Recently Nunn has ventured into campaigning for other democratic candidates and in the process his name has been bandied about for higher office a specifically the presidency Back in july 1979, Nunn seemed 1o squelch that saying Quot i think without any insinuations intended that the nation Wili not be looking for another Georgia president in my but the calf grew so loud that Nunn was forced to announce in february 1987 that to would not seek the presidency. He is unopposed in his Senate re election bid this fail. With the 1992 presidential race not far off Nunn refuses to shut the door entirety says he has no inclination or plans to seek higher office Quot i Don t Rule out the possibility that one of these Days i la decide that i May be More interested in exploring the presidency but i would have to feel that i had the substantive answers to an awful lot of the challenges facing America Quot he says Quot a it take another look after the november election and i m sure ill be talking to a lot of people but based on the Reagan Rule. I be got a lot of years left and i Don t want to make any Concrete statements about the future Quot v 1 8, 1990 the stars and strikes Page 15
