-Caveat Lector- [01/28] Democrats plan fund-raisers with impeached Clinton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats, anxious to cash-in on public discontent with the Republican-driven impeachment of President Clinton, plan to hold a series of fund-raisers with Clinton this year as part of their quest to win back control of Congress. ``You would think that they would at least wait until the Senate trial is over,'' Assistant Senate Republican Leader Don Nickles of Oklahoma said in an interview Thursday. Sen. Robert Torricelli, a New Jersey Democrat, responded: ''Are Republicans going to put a hold on their fund-raising? No. Neither are we.'' The fund-raisers with Clinton are being planned by the Democratic committees in charge of helping party members get elected to the House and the Senate. Members of the committees last week initially disclosed preliminary plans for the events, saying the first one is set for Feb. 25 in San Francisco. Torricelli, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said Thursday there will be eight others, but added that the sites and dates have not yet been selected. The goal of the so-called ``Majority 2000'' fund-raisers is to raise $10 million and put the money toward the Democrats' drive to win back the House and Senate next year, the Democrats said. The funds would be split between Torricelli's panel and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, chaired by Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island. Kennedy, asked if he has any uneasiness about featuring an impeached president at Democratic fund-raisers, said, ``With his poll numbers? Not at all.'' In public opinion polls, Clinton has enjoyed a job approval rating of about 60 percent or more since his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky was revealed a year ago. A Gallup survey of 645 people, conducted Wednesday, put the president's approval rating at 69 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Despite the president's popularity, Sen. John Ashcroft, a Missouri Republican, charged that the presidential fund-raisers amount to ``jury tampering'' since members of the Senate are now seeking to determine the president's fate. Torricelli rejected such a characterization, saying, ``Bill Clinton remains the president of the United States and the leader of the Democratic party until the Senate decides differently.'' It is unclear when the Senate will complete its trial of Clinton, which is now in its third week. There seems to be no chance the Senate will get the needed 67 votes to convict and remove Clinton from office. Republicans control the Senate, 55-45. They also hold a narrow majority in the House, 222-211, with one independent and one vacancy. Torricelli said Thursday that the idea for the fund-raisers were conceived last year, while Clinton was under fire for his affair with Lewinsky but before he was impeached by the House in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Polls consistently have shown public unhappiness with Republicans' handling of the case against the Democratic president. The Gallup survey Wednesday found 57 percent disapprove of how Senate Republicans have dealt with the impeachment proceedings, compared to 54 percent on Jan. 8-10. Asked if he had a problem using impeachment as a fund-raising tool, Sen. Bob Kerrey, a Nebraska Democrat, replied: ``Nope.'' ``Republicans had a chance to get back to the business of the country -- Social Security, education,'' Kerrey said. ``But they decided their agenda is impeachment. ``They knew in December that they didn't have the 67 votes to convict, but have persisted with this anyway,'' Kerrey said. Unlike many of his Republican colleagues, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky declined to criticize Democrats for using the impeached president as a fund-raising draw. ``The president, whether a Democrat or a Republican, is always a top fund-raiser,'' McConnell said. ``We do it and they do it.'' McConnell said despite polls showing discontent with Republicans, he expects his party to retain control of the House and Senate in 2000. ``By the time the elections come up, all this will be ancient history,'' McConnell said. ``He's dreaming,'' said Kerrey. ``The people will remember.'' Last Updated: 01/28/99 16:58 EST Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication and redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. http://legalnews.findlaw.com DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
