Peter DeFazio had a nice reply to this business about special
interests.
>From "'Fast Track' Comes Down to the Wire" p. A2, WSJ 10 November
1997:
Mr. Clinton personally lobbied Democrats, but found the going
rough and at times showed his temper. An Oval Office meeting with
Democratic Rep. Bob Finer of California turned stormy, and in the
same session, Democrats said Mr. Clinton was disparaging toward Rep.
Nancy Pelosi, a popular California Democrat. Tensions boiled at a
weekend caucus of House Democrats with White House Chief of Staff
Erskine Bowles. Oregon Democrat Peter DeFazio, upset with Mr.
Clinton's suggestion that lawmakers were opposing fast track because
of special-interest pressure from unions, accused the wealthy Mr.
Bowles of supporting the measure solely to fatten his stock holdings.
"I put it in language Bowles could understand," Mr. DeFazio
said. "I said 'you're supporting fast track because it provides
profits to your stock portfolio.'"
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Congratulations are due to Max and others who worked against this
measure.
Best, Colin
