Speaker-to-be maynot push impeachment

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON - Speaker-to-be Bob Livingston (R-La.) is talking tough about President Clinton's behavior, but privately he has suggested he has little interest in pursuing an impeachment inquiry during his speakership.

With House Republicans seemingly split over whether to seek impeachment of the president, Livingston has yet to take an active role in bridging the differences. In fact, knowledgeable congressional sources said yesterday that Livingston has not discussed impeachment with House Judiciary Committee Chair Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) since he announced he would seek the speakership last Friday.

In his private conversations with other members Livingston has also made it clear that "he is leaving the whole thing to Hyde," one source said.

But with Republicans on the Judiciary Committee still anxious to press a confrontation with the White House, many rank-and-file Republicans are hoping that Livingston and other GOP leaders will find a way to avoid that prospect before the new Congress meets in January. Exactly how is unclear.

"There is a very widespread feeling (among House Republicans) and amongst much of the leadership that they want this off the table for the new Congress," said one leading GOP lawmaker. "It is my clear perception that there is nothing the new speaker would want more than to start the next Congress with a clean slate."

"Bob's a pragmatist," Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.) a close associate of Livingston's, added.

"I think he's going to want to work through things as quickly as possible. You're not going to see Bob moralizing on the issue or letting the issue divide the House."

With no declared opposition and widespread support, Livingston is virtually certain to be chosen to be the next speaker when incoming House Republicans meet next Wednesday to pick officers and apportion committee assignments for the 106th Congress. Livingston will not receive the gavel until the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3. Until then, the House's pending affairs - particularly impeachment - remain at least nominally under outgoing speaker Newt Gingrich's direction.

Still, Livingston's wishes are paramount, and at least in public he has been circumspect about his intentions. That's in contrast to Gingrich, who made the scandal a centerpiece of GOP strategy for the Nov. 3 midterm election.

On ABC's "This Week" last Sunday, Livingston seemed to take note of the election returns last Tuesday, in which public impatience with the impeachment proceedings appeared to play a role in the GOP's disappointing performance.

"The American people have certainly indicated in the polls that they don't see it (the Lewinsky matter) as an impeachable or dismissible offense," he said.

But on MSNBC's "Imus" radio show yesterday, Livingston was sharply critical of Clinton, saying "the President of the United States has a responsibility to the American people to live by the laws, to obey the laws," according to The Hotline.

"And if it's proven that he did not, he's either going to have to be dealt with or he should voluntarily recognize that he's got a problem," Livingston said. "So far I haven't heard any singular recognition of his problem, so we'll just have to let the processes move forward."

He also criticized House Democrats.

"We'd like to see a little Democrat cooperation with Republicans sometime on this effort," Livingston said. "But we haven't gotten much."

In a lunch with reporters yesterday, House Democratic leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) said that he expected Republicans to bring an impeachment resolution to the floor next month. Gephardt refused to predict the outcome, but he criticized the GOP's handling of the process.

"We've done a lot wrong now and it's hard to put the thing back together again," Gephardt said. "The problem now is that's were out of time... I still think it's very important to get it over with by the end of the year."

Hyde is scheduled to convene Judiciary Committee hearings next week on an inquiry of impeachment concerning Clinton's relationship with former White House aide Monica S. Lewinsky. Committee

Democrats yesterday sent a letter to Hyde asking that the panel make a "summary judgment" on whether independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr's allegations "if assumed to be true, could constitute grounds for the impeachment of President Clinton." The letter asks for a formal committee meeting next week to consider the motion.

11-12-98