European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a Pago 6 Thuc stars and strikes . Friday january a 1993 easy hearings expected for Aspin and 3 others Washington apr defense Secretary designate Les Aspin and three other Cabinet appointees of president elect Clinton face confirmation hearings in a democratic Senate sure to Roll out the Welcome mat for its party Brethren after 12 years of divided government. Aspinw a testimony about where he intends to take a pared Down Post cold War military one that could still face regional challenges a was almost sure to draw the most  there was virtually no suspense about any of the four nominees who got ready to face Senate questioning. The others Are a Robert Reich a Harvard economist As Secretary of labor. A former Denver mayor Federico Pena As Secretary of transportation. A a Jesse Brown a Vietnam Veteran As Secretary of veterans affairs. Aspin 54, a Wisconsin congressman for 22 years including the last seven As chairman of the House armed services committee was Likely to face jabs from Senate republicans still smarting Over the rejection four years ago of the late John Tower of Texas As defense Secretary. Some of the Gopas barbs also were hic by to be directed at Aspinw a Success at steering military projects to his Home state. But no one believed he faced serious trouble especially because outgoing defense Secretary Dick Cheney and his predecessor Caspar w. Weinberger both conservative republicans have praised him. A. Aspin was a key adviser to Clinton during the presidential Campaign and has helped Mold the democrats proposals for cutting $60 billion in Pentagon spending from president Bush a $1.42 trillion five year military budget. Still Aspin could face Touchy questioning even from democratic colleagues. He has angered some members of his own party by his votes for Aid to the nicaraguan rebels and Nis support of expensive strategic weapons at the expense of conventional projects such As the f-14 Jet fighter. Pena 45, a hispanic and native of Brownsville Texas was expected to be questioned about Clinton a Campaign pledge to spend More on highways Bridges High Speed rail and other transportation projects to create jobs while investing in infrastructure. Reich 46, was going before the Senate labor committee chaired by one of his sponsoring senators Edward m. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Brown was to testify before the Senate veterans affairs committee along with his colleagues from the disabled american veterans organization. A ready to go to work president elect Clinton watches television in Little Rock ark., on wednesday As outgoing vice president Dan Quayle reports the official results of the. Electoral College vote to the Senate in Washington. Quayle presiding Over a joint session of Congress formally do new senator Washington a Carol Moseley Braun the nation s first Black woman senator defended herself and her Campaign manager Boyfriend wednesday As she pleaded for the Chance to get on with her work. Quot i m not looking to be a celebrity a the Illinois Democrat told her first news conference As a senator. But she clearly was one As several dozen National reporters peppered her with questions about controversies that have been dogging her in Illinois. Braun said in response to questions that a she did t use Campaign or government Money to pay for a 27-Day vacation before her swearing in ceremony tuesday. The senator visited four african countries and England. She flew from London to new York on the supersonic concorde with her 15-year-old son Matthew and Gosie Matthews her Boyfriend and Campaign manager. Quot if i could have done it All Over again 1 would have had a press person while on vacation Quot she said. A i had no idea going on vacation was a  an investigation by a lawyer she hired turned up no evidence that Matthews had sexually harassed female Campaign workers Quot until i get other information in a going to consider the matter closed Quot she said. The Chicago Sun times quoted two women whom it Clarid his own defeat and that of his running mate president Bush. After watching the Cut and dried tally Clinton called a to network and announced he was a studying a paper about the economic challenges before me trying to get ready to go to  did not identify As saying Matthews behaviour toward them changed after they rejected his requests for dates. One of the women was a Campaign Volunteer and the other a paid staff member a Campaign workers now have been paid through nov. 15, though they Only worked through the nov. 3 election a. Recent reports in Illinois said Braun a debt Ridden Campaign was unable to pay employees while she moved into a $3,300-a-month Penthouse and bought a new jeep and expensive clothes a her first choices for committee assignments Are banking and appropriations but she Quot never said not to joining the judiciary committee. Hours after the news conference democratic leaders recommended her for the judiciary and banking committees. Braun had been criticized for not seeking a seat on the judiciary committee even though she entered the Senate race because of anger Over the committee s handling of the Anita Hili Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991. A her son will remain in parochial school in Chicago for now and she has not decided whether he will attend a Washington Public school. A a Parent has a right to choose what is the most appropriate educational facility a she said adding that she was a Strong supporter of Public education. 2. New women in Senate backed from wire reports Washington democratic leaders on wednesday recommended Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Carol Moseley Braun for the Senate judiciary committee which had been criticized since the Warence Thomas hearings for its All male membership. Braun had launched her Senate Campaign in Illinois by saying she was outraged by the panels treatment of Anita Hill the Law professor who accused Thomas of sexual harassment during the 1991 hearings on Thomas nomination to the supreme court but she recently had been seeking a seat on the Senate appropriations committee rather than the judiciary panel. The Senate democratic caucus however was expected to approve thursday the recommendation of Braun and Feinstein of California for the judiciary committee. Senate majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine and sen. Daniel k. Inouye a Hawaii also chose three women for the appropriations committee a Barbara Mikulski d-md., already a member Patty Murray a Wash. And Feinstein. Three women were chosen for the banking committee a Braun Barbara Boxer a Calif. And Murray. Braun also had sought the banking seat. Judge acts to save records Washington a Federal judge ordered the National archivist wednesday to assure that records on White House computers Are not destroyed before the Bush administration leaves office. . District judge Charles r. Richey directed the White House and the archivist to preserve computer backup tapes of electronic mail messages from officials in the National Security Council and the executive office of the president during the Bush and Reagan administrations. The White houses electronic mail system became prominent in the Iran Contra scandal. A investigators found that National Security advisers John m. Poindexter and Robert c. Mcfarlane used the system for secret communications with National Security Council aide Oliver a North and others. Despite efforts by North and Poindexter to erase their messages from the computers main memory investigators were Able to reconstruct Many of the events from messages preserved on the backup tapes. Reagan denies Clinton vote los Angeles a former president Ronald Reagan on wednesday dismissed As absurd a to guide article quoting someone As saying that he voted for Bill Clinton. Quot after More than 80 years on this Earth and several decades in Public life 1 thought id heard everything. But this week s to guide ranks up there with the worst of them a Reagan said in a statement. Quot to put an end to such nonsense ill spell it out for you once and for All. I actively campaigned and energetically supported George Bush in the november election and i proudly cast my vote for  a report in the Jan. 9 Issue of to guide has an Anonymous official on Clinton a inaugural staff saying Reagan voted for Clinton. Quot use this without attribution but remember when Clinton stopped to see Reagan and got those Jelly Beans How Friendly they were Well. Reagan voted for Clinton a the Clinton staff member is quoted As saying. To guide and the reports author stick by the Story. 9 a inaugural workers get ill Washington a about 30 presidential inaugural committee workers became sick wednesday and at least five were taken to hospitals. The illnesses May have been caused by the food that about 500 committee workers had for lunch at committee Headquarters said Joyce Kravitz committee spokeswoman. Ail but one of those hospitalized were released the same Day Hospital officials said