European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday sunday january 1/2,1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 15 Walter r. Mears new Man old problems a that a usually the Way it is when there a a shake up at the top and president Clinton a change in Pentagon management fits the pattern. But now there arc suggestions that a shift in course or at least emphasis ought to accompany the change in faces in one of the most visible of Cabinet posts. After a year of concentration on Domestic economic concerns some people Are calling for Clinton to give higher priority and profile to foreign policy now. �?o1 would tear Down the sign that says a its the Economy stupid a a says democratic sen. Patrick j. Leahy of Vermont. Maybe they tear it Clinton May want to get Back to his winning 1992 Issue at re election time. But at this Point foreign policy and defense concerns Are bearing Down on him. If confirmed As expected Bobby Ray Inman takes Over As Secretary of defense late in january. He will face the same Pentagon budget Gap that figured in the timing of defense Secretary los Aspinw a resignation. At Issue is a shortfall of at least $31 billion Between administration budget Aims for the next five years and the sum the Pentagon deems vital to defense needs a Aspin wanted the Money restored and republicans say that getting it Back will be a litmus test of inmans new leadership. Sen. Sam Nunn chairman of the Senate armed services committee said he agreed with Aspin and Hopes Clinton will decide to put the Money into defense. A a that would Force additional curbs on Domestic spending to meet deficit control commitments. Along with that go National Security concerns ranging from the threat of nuclear weapons development by North Korea to the unexpected vote for an extreme nationalist in russian parliamentary elections to continuing problems like Bosnia and Herzegovina Haiti and Somalia. 1 v4jld v/wtv1 i i a those Are ail pieces of a broader Issue the framework for . Foreign and defense policies in the Era beyond the cold War that remains to be settled. Quot ironically As Secretary of defense Aspin absorbed criticism that might otherwise have been directed at Clinton. After the botched Somalia Street Battle that Cost 18 american lives Aspin took the Brunt of blame for failing to approve heavy weapons sought earlier by the . Commander. The ill defined policy that put the americans at risk was Clinton a although the whole operation was inherited. But on that and on other problems the Buck stopped Short of the White nationwide poll in december showed that Clinton inspired less Confidence As a manager of foreign affairs than on any of 10 other major concerns. That dec. 6-8 Survey by the tarrance group arid the firm of Mellman Lazarus Lake showed Only 31 percent More confident in Clinton than in congressional republicans on foreign affairs. On that question 52 percent pre furred the gop. That a the Mirror image of attitudes on who is Best to Trust on Job creation a Clinton 52 percent. Republicans in Congress 32 percent. The attitudes reflect Clinton a emphasis. He was As he has said elected to Deal with economic woes and things have been looking up since he took Over. It is not coincidence that chances a the replacement of Aspin and of the no. 2 Man at the state department a month earlier a were in the National Security and foreign affairs specialities that were neither Clinton a strengths nor his major interests. On the foreign policy Side they May now be doing More. Clinton is going to Summit conferences at nato and in Moscow Early in the new year. Tending to business at Home he limited his foreign travel in 1993 to conferences in three countries. The first year he was president George Bush went to 15. There Are democrats who say they Hope foreign and defense concerns keep moving higher on the Clinton Agenda Leahy of Vermont for example. A i think it is now High time to have a lot More concentration by the president and his chief advisors on foreign policy a he said in a can interview. A it cannot run a. A a c Tho associated pros Bob Levey local Washington , radio talk show Host tried his Best to defend president Clinton against charges by two Arkansas state troopers that they helped Clinton arrange Clandestine sexual encounters and then assisted in concealing them until the Day he Lef Little Rock ark., for his inauguration. Levey denounced the troopers Ana their motives for coming Forward to talk to the american Spectator and the networks. A a they re writing a Book a he said though no contracts have been signed. A Why did no to they say something earlier if their motivation was anything other than financial a j after a lengthy monologue in which he stated flatly that the. Story is a lie and that nothing happened Levey invited Calls to the stations computerized Survey lines. Listeners called the a a yes number if they believed the stories about Clinton and the a a not number if they did not. In one hour the station recorded 818 Calls from listeners affirming their belief in the troopers and 368 who did not believe them. A station employee told me so Many Calls were coming into the a a yes line that they rolled Over to other numbers and were not counted is yes votes. A so she said the number of a yes est was probably much higher than 818. Levey said too Many of us Are a voyeurs Quot and that a Why we like these stories. But the american people Are not stupid about these things. They done to need ironclad evidence to sense that something is amiss. Voters were worried about character questions Duk a ing the Campaign manifested in the debate Over Clinton a draft record his sex life and frequent shading of the truth on Many like Nixon every Day a enough voters took a Chance with Clinton to elect him but Many now appear to be rethinking their position. Clinton defenders like Levey ask for corroborating evidence such As Public statements by the women allegedly involved. Their silence is taken proof there is nothing to troopers stories. But it Cal Thomas As the Isnit easy to Challenge the Power of a president or presidential candidate. Jobs can be lost careers damaged or ruined. It Isnit just the sex As bad As that is for Clinton and his family if it is True. Adultery is net an impeachable offence. But personal immorality is bound to spill Over into other areas of Public behaviour. That is Why we Are hearing serious question s raised about possible cover and stonewalling in the Madison guaranty savings amp loan mess in Little Rock an institution allegedly used As a a private Piggy Bank by gov. Clinton and his friends to underwrite Campaign costs and for personal Loans some of them allegedly not repaid. A new York times editorial gets to the heart of the matter a this is a Man who Rode into Washington on a pledge to end politics As usual and every time the White House Dodges inquiries about the old Days in Arkansas reasonable people begin to wonder about a cover up and or. Clinton a reasonable peo pie wonder about these things not just right Wing wackos. President Clinton likes to compare himself Tri John k Kennedy. Leaving the similarities in their sexual behaviour aside he May soon be compared to Richard Nixon whose main problem became not so much the acts he committed but the attempts to cover them up. In the end the cover ii did him in. This is the potential danger for Bill Clinton. As charges mount the tendency is to Circle the wagons and rely on those closest to the president to protect him Nixon a closest aides believed they were Safe As Long As the Justice department was staffed with their allies. One of those aides special counsel Charlesw Colson told me a we thought ourselves Invulnerable As Long As we had John Mitchell or Richard Klindienst in our Justice department it was Only when Elliott Richardson appointed Kennedy activist Archibald Cox special prosecutor that the roof caved in. Before that we knew that no one inhouse would blow the All the More reason Why principled republicans and democrats in Congress should Call for an Independent prosecutor and or congressional hearings so far denied by House banking chairman Henry b. Gonzalez to pursue the growing pile of allegations about president Clinto ifs dealings with Madison guaranty a amp a. That is the least required to Clear the air. C los Angeles times
