No Early Herman Hearing, Sen. Jeffords Says
No Early Herman Hearing, Sen. Jeffords Says
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 21) -- Senate Labor Committee Chairman James Jeffords (R-Vt.) says his panel is still not ready to schedule a confirmation hearing for embattled Labor Secretary nominee Alexis Herman. President Bill Clinton on Thursday called for a hearing to be held soon. "Since early December, the White House has known there would be such questions," Jeffords said in a statement. "In fairness to the nominee, and the committee, it is better to try to resolve many of these issues before a hearing is scheduled." Jeffords contended he is not "unnecessarily" delaying a hearing, but needs more time to resolve many issues. "I have said I want to conduct a fair and thorough review of this nominee," he said. "I intend to do that."
Forbes In 2000?
WILMINGTON, Del. (AllPolitics, Feb. 21) - Magazine publisher Steve Forbes, returning to Delaware where he won the Republican primary last year, said it's still too early to say whether he might run for president again in 2000. But he predicted it will be an open race, and said he might decide what to do following the 1998 congressional elections. Forbes, who spent about $25 million of his own money last year, won in Delaware and Arizona, but withdrew following disappointing finishes in the Junior and Super Tuesday primaries.
One Embarrassed Newspaper
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette admitted it erred in reporting that Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr's office conducted four mock trials of President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. "Our Saturday story concerning the mock trials was obviously wrong," said Griffin Smith Jr., the newspaper's executive editor. Last Saturday, the newspaper reported there had been obstruction of justice mock trials, and in neither did a jury vote to convict the Clintons. In an article Friday, the Democrat-Gazette said its source began questioning his information following repeated denials by Starr's office. The source went back to an acquaintance in Starr's office and was told the information was incorrect, the newspaper said.
Russians Still Wary Of NATO Expansion
MOSCOW (CNN, Feb. 21) -- Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov said the Kremlin was still "negatively disposed" to NATO expansion, even as Secretary of State Madeleine Albright insisted that NATO was no longer "us versus you or you versus us." Said Primakov: "We are still negatively disposed to NATO expansion but we are doing everything we can to minimize any negative consequences in the event that NATO does expand." His comments followed a second day of meetings with Albright during a stop in her round-the-world tour.
Forbes To Launch Ad Campaign For Independent Counsel
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 21) -- Former GOP presidential candidate Malcolm "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is among those calling for an independent counsel to investigate Democratic fund-raising, and he's launching a radio ad campaign to press his case. The spot starts airing Tuesday in Washington, and is sponsored by the issues advocacy group Forbes founded last year. Attorney Janet Reno is the one who makes the call, and to date she's denied all such requests.