17 newly elected Republicans are seasoned politicians

GOP pols show shift in voters' priorities

WASHINGTON - So much for the era of the Republican citizen-legislator.

Almost without exception, the 17 House GOP freshmen who begin their orientations in Washington today are seasoned politicians.

That's a far cry from the restaurateurs, accountants, veterinarians, dairy workers and vintners who formed the shocktroops of the Republican revolution in 1994, when about half the 73-member freshmen class were novices.

"Everybody said this was the year of incumbent. But it was really the year of the pol," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political analyst.

"The public generally rewards experience in politics. It's only when they get angry do they deviate," he explained. "And the voters were a happy lot this year."

Judging from their records, campaign pronouncements and interviews, the GOP Class of '98 is dominated by pragmatists with mainstream agendas. They prefer what one calls "pocket book issues" over conservative social controversies or partisan confrontation - a reflection of Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) the speaker-apparent.

As Livingston seeks to mediate the raging ideological struggle between give-no-quarter conservatives and those with a more conciliatory approach in the GOP-controlled House, the pragmatism among the GOP newcomers may allow them to exert an influence on their party's direction and the public agenda disproportionate to their numbers or lack of seniority.

Of the 23 Democratic House freshmen, 21 have government service on their resumes. They, too, may wield considerable power because of the narrow margin that Republicans hold in the House: 223-211 (with one independent, who usually votes with Democrats). That means a mere swing of a half a dozen votes can spell the difference between victory or defeat.

A key factor producing the bumper crop of political veterans among the freshmen are the term limits recently imposed around the country, which prompted many career politicians at the state and local levels to eye Congress for a change of venue.

"Ironically, term limits were supposed to bring in revolutionaries and citizen-legislators," said Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

California's newly elected representatives vividly underscore the trends among the freshmen. Four of the five are veterans of the state legislature - Republicans Steven Kuykendall and Gary Miller, and Democrats Mike Thompson and Grace Napolitano.

The fifth newcomer, Doug Ose of Sacramento, is a businessperson. But he's not exactly a novice in the political arena, having long been involved in local politics.

The GOP freshmen already are showing their savvy. They held a conference call on Tuesday to explore common concerns.

"There will be some things we have disagreements on," Kuykendall said . "That's why pragmatism becomes very important."

He said that politicians who enjoy the greatest successes are those "who know what their core beliefs are, know where they want to go - and know that getting there is not always a straight line."

Most of the GOP freshmen have been in touch with House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas and his two challengers, Reps. Jennifer Dunn of Washington and Steve Largent of Oklahoma.

In that spirited race for the No. 2 leadership post, California Rep. Bill Thomas on yesterday became the latest key Republican to endorse Armey. Thomas did so after briefly considering entering the race himself.

11-12-98