European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 14, 199i commentary the stars and stripes Page 13 special counsel covers up Ira Gate scandal in the first week of october the refusal to name an Independent counsel in the Ira Gate scandal was becoming an Issue in the presidential Campaign. To take off the heat attorney general William p. Barr asked former Federal judge Harold r. Tyler if he would serve As a a a special a not Independent a counsel. The timing of the assignment was fishy. A the did no to seem to be in that much of a hurry a recalls Tyler. Barr wanted a report delayed until after the election Well into december a when the act authorizing special prosecutors was to expire. Tyler wisely ducked. Jumping at the Chance was Frederick b. Lacey another former Federal judge. Wednesday on Barros carefully chosen schedule Lacey came through for the coverup general and his corrupt Crew in a style that would make a watergate Blush. William Safire at a press conference in the Fri building Lacey a Seething at having been called a a Patsy prosecutor in this space a was at his patsies. A fall of this a stuff a a he charged spitting out the euphemism was a warrant  he called the prosecution of the botched Case a pretty near perfect and charges of cover up a baseless. A they were caused by a unbridled attacks of a legislators he Means you Henry Gonzalez and he further chastised the press a you have been taken by  that a one of the misprints a he meant a taken in a from a slapped together grammatically befuddled diatribe handed out by Barros Helper Paul Mcnulty before Lacey a press conference. Customarily a lengthy written report such As Lacey submitted is Given to reporters for study at least an hour in Advance facilitating informed questioning. Not this time Barr wanted no detailed Cross examination of his defender. When i Rose unrecognized to ask that copies of the supposedly definitive document be distributed the imperious former Jurist denied responsibility professing to think we already had it. I walked out in protest at being denied the basis for specific queries thus missing his later aspersion at a a distortions from Justice whistle blowers that come to a people like Safire. But the. Obfuscation performed by Barros spokesman did illustrate How easily Lacey was manipulated by the Justice department he was supposed to investigate. A second Section of Lacey a Whitewash a dishonestly labelled As coming from a Independent counsel a is classified As secret. Between denunciations of the press and a shot at a congressional pressure that forced the helpless agriculture department to shut its eyes to wrongdoing Barros dependent counsel admitted he had not sought to have anything stamped a a secret declassified. This comes from Lacey a former judicial intelligence panellist who never met a wiretap he did no to like. He thus perpetuates the wrongful use of National Security As a device for preventing investigation into abuses of Power. Former attorney general Dick Thornburgh claimed a National Security in seeking to hide embarrassments from the House banking chairman. Lacey a report brushes away this blatant attempt to intimidate As a the unfortunate use of the words a National  a White Washer so a unfortunate is a hard eyed prosecutors  Barros dependent counsel invokes that secrecy in failing to Tell the Public about the Ira Gate diplomatic Cable traffic. It shows How the Fri and Cia knew the truth about the use of agriculture billions for Saddam a armaments As Well As the involvement of the italian and British governments a while Justice prosecutors were claiming the opposite in court. Lacey a see no evil conclusion a we were unable to determine who at Justice saw what and  others will determine that. Ira Gate will not be squelched by Barros cover up or his dependent coun Sells  Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell expects to Send up new legislation establishing an Independent counsel Bill Clinton will sign it and has assured me he would urge his attorney general to trigger the act in this Case meanwhile in response to the display of Power abusive arrogance shown this Day the new Congress should set up a select joint committee with expert staff to plumb this scandal to its Depths. C Tho now York times tire opinions  in is columns and cartoons on Thea Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states  s nominees Don t reflect his electorate and so now we know the people who will form the Core of Bill Clinton a economic team a 71-year-old conservative Texas senator a couple of Wall Street tycoons and a congressman who Cut his Teeth serving the Nixon administration and bounced Only 12 checks at the House Bank. They re All male White and have not been convicted of pig stealing. Still on paper its a curious first step in administration building for a candidate who Drew his most lopsided majorities among liberals Blacks the distressed inner cities the poor the feminists. I guess you can safely say of Lloyd Bent sen Robert Rubin Roger Altman and Leon Panetta that they wont spook the Bond Market if that a what Clinton was elected not to do. But neither did Nicholas Brady the incumbent Treasury Secretary or Richard Darman the present budget director. And they helped get us in the mess use re in now. If you want you can take satisfaction in the appointment of that Giantess Alice Rivlin to be Panetta a Deputy at the office of management and budget. But in another sense hers is the most offensive of All these appointments because she is so clearly the More impressive intellect and the better Quali fied of the five people named by Clinton on thursday. So she gets the least influential position. Take your pick. She i a ther got shafted because she was a woman because she a too Liberal or because she can to schmooze with Rich texans and merchant Bankers. Of Well As conservative Texas Treasury secretaries go Lloyd Bentsen will be a lot Robert Reno easier to take than John Connally. You can take him anywhere a to Congress to a conference of g-7 finance ministers to a country club to a meeting with the lords of japanese finance a and he a not going to offend anyone. Besides he and Panetta Are exceedingly Well liked in Congress if being Well liked in Congress has now become an asset. Just a while ago when that body was staging the largest mass retirement in its history it was thought the kiss of death to be associated with the place. And lets face it Rubin and Altman Are respected in the investment Community which will be reassured by their presence close to Clinton and to the nations Cash Box. Funny though Isnit it that this Man preparing to Lead a great nation feels not the slightest need to appoint anywhere High on his economic team somebody to reassure the liberals the disadvantaged the unemployed the minorities the Urban masses the people who have nothing to invest and who voted for him by such huge margins the investment Community did no to vote for him. Texas did no to vote for him. The Oil Industry which smiles with such favor on sen. Bentsen did no to vote for him. For the raving right which did no to vote for him Clinton a got the death penalty. For corporate America which did no to either he a got the investment tax credit. For those who did vote for him Clinton promises More bus trips More town meetings a Peoples inaugural a Middle class tax Cut he wont be Able to afford a presidency so Down to Earth and informal Well All think the Clinton have moved in next door to us. These people get to look at Clinton a legs every time he jogs to Mcdonald a for breakfast. You figure out who really won this election