Critics On The Right Snipe At Sen. Thompson

Has he 'mucked up' finance hearings?

By Candy Crowley/CNN

WASHINGTON (Sep. 30) -- In June, Sen. Fred Thompson was the man who called the shots, the camera-savvy wonderboy of the Republican Party. At a skeet-shooting outing in his home state of Tennessee, he joked, "The problem is, in Washington, they shoot back."

His critics are shooting back now, and it is not-so-friendly fire from the right.

Republican Leader Trent Lott is among those said to be complaining that Thompson has "mucked it up" with unfocused hearings into alleged campaign-finance abuses. It is louder than a whisper campaign, but not quite public.

"I'm not in a position of giving my colleagues in the Senate of either party a grade," said Lott. (128K wav sound)

Still, a senior Republican source says Lott believes Thompson, guided by presidential ambitions, has let Democrats off the hook and propelled a campaign-finance reform bill that most Republicans don't want.

Said the source, "In Thompson's zeal to be bipartisan, to advance his own national interests, he got schnookered by [Sen. John] Glenn." Glenn is the ranking Democrat on Thompson's Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

"The American people aren't fooled by this diversion from the real issue, which is that quid pro quos for political money happen here on Capitol Hill every day," Glenn said during one committee session. (160K wav sound)

Republican critics call them "John Glenn diatribes."

Sen. Robert Bennett, a Republican on Thompson's committee, was blunt in his comments on CNN's "Late Edition."

"We Republicans have blown it," said Bennett. "We've allowed the Democrats, either through our own incompetence or the way the ... hearings have been reported, to shift the focus away from the illegalities that have taken place under current law." (224K wav sound)

Thompson's staff defends his product as well as his attitude. Senate leaders thought a freshman would just fall in line, said one source, but Thompson is more a populist than a party man.

Sources also scoff at suggestions Thompson is feathering his own presidential nest.

"I'm not saying he won't run for president," said the source, "but if he wanted to start now, would he be alienating the conservatives who control the primary process?"

A Thompson-friendly source said the senator is more disappointed than surprised by the attack from the right, but also believes that outside Washington, no one really much cares about the critique.

In Other News:

Tuesday Sept. 30, 1997

• Ickes To Testify Next Week
• Critics On The Right Snipe At Sen. Thompson
• Negotiators Agree To Allow Pay Increase For Congress
• N.Y. Lieutenant Gov. Joins Democratic Party
• Clinton Meets With Race Advisory Board
• Clinton Bids Goodbye To Retiring Military Chief
• Congress Extends Immigration Filing Deadline

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