Clinton Reaching Out To Democrats
By SANDRA SOBIERAJ
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) Bedrock Democratic loyalists in the Hispanic
and black communities say they're not concerned about what story
might emerge when President Clinton testifies in the Monica
Lewinsky investigation.
"We're not fair-weathered friends. We will be with you to the
end," Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told Clinton, whose appearance
Tuesday night at her fund-raising reception of mostly black
activists raised $300,000 for House Democratic candidates.
This evening, the president was hitting another Democratic
dinner expected to raise just over $1 million. Before that,
however, he was going to Capitol Hill to meet privately with the
House Democratic caucus.
Legislative priorities was the nominal topic, but with Clinton
due to be asked by grand jurors in less than two weeks about his
relationship with Ms. Lewinsky, the subject of the alleged
presidential affair and cover-up may be broached by wary Democrats.
"Presumably, they'll have some give and take," White House
spokesman Barry Toiv said.
The huddle comes as Clinton faces increasing pressure from
prominent Democrats, including his former chief of staff, Leon
Panetta, and other ex-White House aides, to explain the Lewinsky
matter publicly.
But black and Hispanic Democrats who were given separate
audiences with Clinton on Tuesday echoed none of that sentiment.
Neither Waters nor Clinton directly addressed the Lewinsky
matter during the brief portion of Tuesday night's program that
reporters were allowed to cover. "More than anything, I would like
to thank you," Clinton said after a sustained standing ovation
from the intimate gathering of about four dozen.
"What we (Democrats) really need to do is to make sure that
we're not sitting on our laurels and being distracted, but instead
bearing down and looking forward and lifting up," he continued.
In an earlier White House meeting on minority issues, Clinton
cemented the already loyal backing of about a dozen Hispanic
lawmakers.
"The president, we believe, is doing the right thing. We
focused an hour and 15 minutes on issues important to 30-odd
million Americans, including issues of education, health care,
citizenship," Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., told reporters.
The Lewinsky investigation did not directly come up, Becerra
said.
Democrat Rep. Jose Serrano, another member of the congressional
Hispanic caucus, said he got a polite "thank you" but no more
discussion when he prefaced policy comments to the president with
words of personal support.
"I told him no matter how hot things get this summer and fall,
I'm with him," Serrano told reporters, echoing what he said is the
sentiment of his constituents. Back home in the Bronx section of
New York City, thick with Clinton loyalists and Democratic party
stalwarts, "it's still the economy, stupid," Serrano said.
(05 Aug 1998 02:29 EDT)
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