DATE=12/17/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-42173 TITLE=CLINTON/CREDIBILITY BYLINE=JIM MALONE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: MANY CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE QUESTIONING PRESIDENT CLINTON'S CREDIBILITY IN THE WAKE OF THE U-S MILITARY ATTACKS ON IRAQ. THE AIRSTRIKES BEGAN ON THE EVE OF THE SCHEDULED IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ANGERING SOME OPPOSITION REPUBLICANS WHO ACCUSE THE PRESIDENT OF USING THE ATTACK ON IRAQ TO DELAY THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE. AS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE REPORTS, THE LEVEL OF TRUST BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS APPEARS TO BE AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. TEXT: IN THE WAKE OF THE ATTACK ON IRAQ, THE CREDIBILITY GAP BETWEEN CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS AND PRESIDENT CLINTON SEEMS TO BE WIDENING. DANA ROHRABACHER IS A REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM CALIFORNIA. /// ROHRABACHER ACT. /// WE DO NOT EVEN TRUST HIM WHEN HE ORDERS THE AMERICAN MILITARY INTO ACTION. WE BELIEVE HE IS A SHAMELESS LIAR AND IT IS TIME FOR HIM TO STEP DOWN. /// END ACT. /// SOME REPUBLICANS NOW SEE POLITICAL MOTIVES IN EVERYTHING THE PRESIDENT DOES, AND THAT COULD POISON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESS FOR THE REST OF MR. CLINTON'S TERM, ASSUMING HE SURVIVES AN EXPECTED IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IN THE SENATE. THIS IS UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA POLITICAL SCIENTIST LARRY SABATO. /// SABATO ACT. /// WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE REAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE PRESIDENT'S MISSTATEMENTS AND UNTRUTHS CONNECTED TO THE SCANDALS. NOW, A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AT LEAST A THIRD (ACCORDING TO MOST POLLS), DO NOT BELIEVE HIM AND ARE NOT INCLINED TO BELIEVE HIM ON ANYTHING. AND THAT PERCENTAGE IS ACTUALLY HIGHER AMONG THE GOVERNING CLASS, THOSE WHO ARE ACTUALLY IN OFFICE OR CLOSE TO POWER. /// END ACT. /// THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY LEADER IN THE U-S SENATE, TRENT LOTT (MISSISSIPPI) EVEN TOOK THE UNUSUAL STEP OF WITHHOLDING HIS SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQ BOMBINGS, SAYING THE TIMING OF THE ATTACK WAS SUSPECT. AT THE WHITE HOUSE, PRESIDENT CLINTON SOUGHT TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC THE ATTACK AGAINST BAGHDAD WAS NOT PART OF A POLITICAL STRATEGY AIMED AT SIDETRACKING THE IMPEACHMENT EFFORT IN CONGRESS. /// CLINTON ACT. /// THAT IT IS NOT TRUE. THAT WHAT I DID WAS THE RIGHT THING FOR THE COUNTRY. I DO NOT THINK THAT ANY SERIOUS PERSON WOULD BELIEVE THAT ANY PRESIDENT WOULD DO SUCH A THING. /// END ACT. /// THIS GROWING WILLINGNESS BY REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS TO QUESTION THE MOTIVES OF THE PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS ABROAD IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF THE DETERIORATING BIPARTISANSHIP IN OFFICIAL WASHINGTON. /// OPT /// IT IS A TREND WHICH BEGAN DURING THE DIVISIVE DEBATES OVER THE VIETNAM WAR IN THE 1960'S AND BLOSSOMED DURING THE WATERGATE SCANDAL IN THE 1970'S AND THE IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL OF THE 1980'S. POLITICAL ANALYST STUART ROTHENBERG SAYS AMERICAN PRESIDENTS CAN NO LONGER AUTOMATICALLY COUNT ON BIPARTISAN SUPPORT WHEN DEALING WITH A CRISIS OVERSEAS. /// ROTHENBERG ACT. /// IT USED TO BE SAID THAT POLITICS STOPPED AT THE WATER'S EDGE, AND THAT WAS A REFERENCE TO WHEN FOREIGN POLICY WAS INVOLVED THERE WERE NO REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATS OR LIBERALS OR CONSERVATIVES, BUT JUST AMERICANS. AND I THINK THAT SINCE VIETNAM (WAR) WE HAVE SEEN EROSION OF THAT BIPARTISANSHIP AND MOST RECENTLY, SENATOR (TRENT) LOTT'S CRITICAL COMMENTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S DECISIONS, I THINK, EMPHASIZE THAT EROSION AND POINT OUT THAT PARTISAN POLITICS NO LONGER STOPS AT THE WATER'S EDGE AND NOW INVOLVES IMPORTANT NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES AS WELL. /// END ACT. /// /// END OPT /// IF, AS IS LIKELY, PRESIDENT CLINTON IS IMPEACHED BY THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED HOUSE BECAUSE OF HIS EFFORTS TO CONCEAL AN AFFAIR WITH MONICA LEWINSKY, HE WOULD BECOME ONLY SECOND U-S PRESIDENT TO FACE AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IN THE SENATE. SIXTY-SEVEN OF THE 100 U-S SENATORS WOULD HAVE TO CONVICT THE PRESIDENT OF HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS IN ORDER TO REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE. FOR MONTHS, MOST POLITICAL ANALYSTS HAVE PREDICTED THAT REPUBLICANS, WHO HOLD A 55 TO 45 SEAT ADVANTAGE IN THE SENATE, WOULD NOT BE ABLE MUSTER ENOUGH VOTES TO FORCE THE PRESIDENT FROM OFFICE. BUT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA POLITICAL SCIENTIST LARRY SABATO SAYS THE PRESIDENT'S ERODING CREDIBILITY AMONG REPUBLICANS IN THE WAKE OF THE ATTACKS ON IRAQ COULD UNDERCUT HIS EFFORTS TO SURVIVE A TRIAL IN THE SENATE. /// SABATO ACT. /// THERE IS AT LEAST A TINY CHANCE THAT IF THINGS CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE, ENOUGH DEMOCRATS WILL DECIDE THAT THEY ARE PROBABLY BETTER OFF WITH AL GORE, WHO HAS A CLEAN REPUTATION, THAN CONTINUING WITH A CRIPPLED PRESIDENCY AND A PRESIDENT THAT MANY AMERICANS SIMPLY DO NOT TRUST. /// END ACT. /// PUBLIC OPINION POLLS HAVE LONG SHOWN A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS OPPOSE MR. CLINTON'S REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. BUT THE POLLS ALSO SHOW MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT LIED IN THE MONICA LEWINSKY AFFAIR AND HIS MISLEADING STATEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SCANDAL HAVE SOMEWHAT ERODED HIS CREDIBILITY AND TRUSTWORTHINESS. (SIGNED) NEB/JBM/RAE 17-Dec-98 3:01 PM EST (2001 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .