DATE=03/19/97
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10075
TITLE=EXIT ANTHONY LAKE
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=NEAL LAVON
CONTENT=
[EDITORS: FOR THOSE SERVICES WISHING MORE MATERIAL ON MR.
LAKE'S WITHDRAWAL, PLEASE CONSULT TODAY'S (3/19) U-S EDITORIAL
DIGEST WHICH IS NOT DUPLICATED BELOW]
INTRO: AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF TOUGH QUESTIONING BEFORE THE
SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, ANTHONY LAKE HAS
WITHDRAWN HIS NAME FOR CONSIDERATION AS THE NEW HEAD OF
THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. IT WAS SEEN AS ANOTHER
BLOW TO PRESIDENT CLINTON AND FOR THE BELEAGUERED
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.
BUT IN THE OPINION OF MANY PAPERS, THE WORST DAMAGE WAS
TO THE SENATE CONFIRMATION PROCESS ITSELF. IN HIS
WITHDRAWAL LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, MR. LAKE CALLED IT A
PROCESS GONE "HAYWIRE" (OUT OF CONTROL) AND "A POLITICAL
CIRCUS."
WE GET A SAMPLING OF THE HUGE VOLUME OF EDITORIALS
COMMENTING ON THIS LATEST WASHINGTON HAPPENING NOW FROM
__________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: MR. LAKE, A SCHOLARLY, MASSACHUSETTS MAN WITH A LONG
HISTORY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICE, SERVED AS NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON DURING HIS FIRST
TERM. FROM THE DAY THE PRESIDENT PRESENTED HIM AS THE
CHOICE TO RUN THE TROUBLED C-I-A, THERE WAS SPECULATION
THAT HIS NOMINATION WAS IN TROUBLE.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WERE UNHAPPY WHEN MR. LAKE FAILED TO
INFORM THEM THAT BOSNIAN MUSLIMS BOUGHT ARMS FROM IRAN
WITH THE SECRET APPROVAL OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.
ALSO, QUESTIONS WERE RAISED ABOUT MR. LAKE'S
EFFECTIVENESS IN THE CONTROVERSY OVER POSSIBLE ILLEGAL
CHINESE POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND WHETHER OR NOT HE
COULD, AS HEAD OF THE C-I-A, OBJECTIVELY CRITICIZE
POLICIES HE HELPED IMPLEMENT AS NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER.
REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE SENATE, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, ALABAMA'S RICHARD SHELBY,
DELAYED THE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR MONTHS WHILE HE
AND HIS STAFF EXAMINED MR. LAKE'S RECORD. A CONTROVERSY
ENSUED WHEN SENATOR SHELBY DEMANDED TO SEE THE ENTIRE
F-B-I BACKGROUND FILE ON MR. LAKE RATHER THAN JUST THE
SUMMARY THE AGENCY USUALLY SUPPLIES. AND, AT THE TIME
MR. LAKE WITHDREW, MR. SHELBY WAS SAYING HE PLANNED TO
SHARE THIS DETAILED CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ON MR. LAKE
WITH OTHER SENATORS ON THE COMMITTEE, WHICH WOULD SET A
PRECEDENT FOR CONFIRMATION HEARINGS.
THE NATION'S PAPERS ARE DIVIDED ON MR. LAKE'S
WITHDRAWAL. SOME HAVE CRITICIZED THE SENATE AND ITS
METHODS, WHILE OTHERS MAINTAIN THAT HE WAS NOT THE
RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB, NOT TOUGH ENOUGH, AND THAT HIS
DEPARTURE WAS BENEFICICAL. WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WITH THE OREGONIAN, FROM PORTLAND.
VOICE: "ANTHONY LAKE'S WITHDRAWAL AS NOMINEE FOR C-I-A DIRECTOR
RAISES ONCE AGAIN WHETHER THE SENATE'S CONFIRMATION
PROCESS HAS - - AS [MR.] LAKE COMPLAINED - - GONE
HAYWIRE. [CRAZY]. IN [MR.] LAKE'S CASE, AT LEAST, IT'S
A FAIR QUESTION. CERTAINLY, SENATORS HAD EVERY REASON
TO EXPLORE THE LAKE NOMINATION CAREFULLY. ..... TOO,
[IN THIS CONTEXT "ALSO] [MR.] LAKE'S NOMINATION RAISED
VALID QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITIES AND
INEXPERIENCE IN INTELLIGENCE WORK. AND UNFAIR AS IT MAY
SEEM TO THE NOMINEES OR THE PRESIDENTS WHO NOMINATED
THEM, THE SENATE'S ADVICE-AND-CONSENT ROLE INCLUDES THE
POWER TO REJECT A NOMINEE OUTRIGHT. [MR.] LAKE,
HOWEVER, MAKES AN IMPORTANT POINT IN HIS LETTER ASKING
PRESIDENT CLINTON TO WITHDRAW HIS NOMINATION: 'A
NOMINATION PROCESS THAT HAS NO END IN SIGHT.'
TEXT: MORE THAN 4-THOUSAND KILOMETERS AWAY, IN MAINE, THE
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD BELIEVES THAT "PARTISAN ENMITY
HURTS [THE] CONFIRMATION PROCESS" AND CITES RECENT
HISTORY TO PROVE ITS POINT.
VOICE: "SINCE 1987, WHEN A DEMOCRATIC-CONTROLLED SENATE REFUSED
TO CONFIRM CONSERVATIVE JUDGE ROBERT BORK TO THE SUPREME
COURT, PARTISAN POLITICS HAS INJECTED INCREASINGLY
ENMITY INTO THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS. THIS TIME THE
DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED BY REPUBLICANS, PARTICULARLY BY
SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY, REPUBLICAN OF ALABAMA, CHAIRMAN
OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. DESPITE
PROTESTATIONS .... [SENATOR] SHELBY'S ACTIONS SUGGEST HE
WAS READY TO PROLONG [MR.] LAKE'S CONFIRMATION HEARING
AS LONG AS IT TOOK TO DISCOURAGE HIM."
TEXT: TO THE SOUTHWEST NOW, WHERE THE SALT LAKE [CITY] TRIBUNE
IS UPSET WITH SENATOR SHELBY'S METHODS IN THE HEARING.
VOICE: "TREATED .... BY COMMITTEE ADVERSARIES NOT AS A
DEDICATED CONTRIBUTOR TO THE NATION'S SECURITY WHO MIGHT
HAVE MADE SOME ERRORS, BUT RATHER AS 'INCOMPETENT,'
'NAIVE' AND 'A MASTER OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS,' [MR.] LAKE
SURELY WAS ENTITLED TO CUT HIS REPUTATION'S LOSSES AND
CHARACTERIZE HIS ORDEAL AS A 'CIRCUS' HELD IN A PLACE
GONE 'HAYWIRE' [CRAZY]. WITHDRAWING UNDER SUCH PARTHIAN
SHOTS, HE COULD SALVAGE HIS SELF-RESPECT AND BEQUEATH
SOME INDIGNATION TO AN AGGRIEVED ADMINISTRATION."
TEXT: IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE,
ALTHOUGH APPALLED AT THE WAY THE HEARINGS WERE
CONDUCTED, IS NOT UPSET THAT MR. LAKE WITHDREW.
VOICE: "....THE FACT THAT THE COMMITTEE EMBARRASSED ITSELF DOES
NOT MEAN THAT [MR.] LAKE'S DEPARTURE HURTS THE COUNTRY.
WITH 80-THOUSAND EMPLOYEES, A 30-BILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET,
A DIZZYING TURNOVER IN DIRECTORS AND A SERIES OF SPY
SCANDALS, THE C-I-A NEEDS A RESOLUTE, PROVEN LEADER WITH
UNQUESTIONED MANAGERIAL SKILLS AND THE STRENGTH TO STAND
UP TO THE PRESIDENT. [MR.] LAKE INSISTS THAT HE WOULD
HAVE DISCIPLINE IN THE C-I-A, BUT THAT DISCIPLINE HAS
NOT BEEN EVIDENT IN THE FAR-SMALLER, 151-EMPLOYEE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. ..... WITH [MR.] LAKE'S
WITHDRAWAL, PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO NAME
A STRONGER CANDIDATE AND THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A CHANCE
FOR SOME SOUL-SEARCHING."
[OPT]
TEXT: THE NEW YORK POST SAYS IN ITS HEADLINE ON THE SUBJECT,
"[MR.] LAKE'S EXIT: NO LOSS" AND SUMS UP ITS OPINION
THIS WAY:
VOICE: "[OPT] [MR.] LAKE'S APPARENT INABILITY TO APPREHEND WHAT
WAS TRANSPIRING AROUND HIS OFFICE REGARDING AN
UNPRECEDENTED TORRENT OF FOREIGN MONEY INTO AN AMERICAN
ELECTION CAMPAIGN MAKES IT UNLIKELY THAT HE WAS THE
RIGHT MAN TO RAN AN AGENCY WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS AND A BUDGET OF 25-BILLION DOLLARS.
[END OPT] HIS NOMINATION, IN THE END, IS NOT A CASUALTY
OF INTENSE REPUBLICAN PARTISANSHIP. IT WAS BROUGHT DOWN
- - AS COLLATERAL DAMAGE - - IN THE GROWING WASHINGTON
STORM GENERATED BY THE CLINTON FUND-RAISING SCHEMES.
BUT [MR.] LAKE'S DOWNFALL MAY BE ONLY THE FIRST OF MANY
IN THIS SECOND CLINTON TERM."
TEXT: ACROSS TOWN, THE [NEW YORK] DAILY NEWS VEHEMENTLY
DISAGREES.
VOICE: "IN FORCING TONY LAKE TO ABANDON HIS NOMINATION TO BE
THE NEXT DIRECTOR OF THE C-I-A, HIS REPUBLICAN
TORMENTORS WON THE DAY. BUT THE NATION LOST. AND NOT
JUST THIS TIME. FOR IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE THE
PUBLIC WELL IS POISON-FREE. [MR.] LAKE IS A GOOD AND
HONORABLE MAN, AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. ....
THE G-O-P WAS LOOKING FOR A SCALP. AND [MR.] LAKE WAS
THE CHOSEN TARGET."
[END OPT]
TEXT: USA TODAY SUGGESTS, IN ITS APPRAISAL THAT: "ULTIMATELY,
HE WAS NOT SO MUCH REJECTED ON MERIT AS BEATEN INTO
SUBMISSION." AND LASTLY, FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES,
THERE IS THIS.
VOICE: "THAT [MR.] LAKE WAS NOT THE STRONGEST CANDIDATE FOR THE
JOB WAS CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING. HIS EXPERIENCES AS AN
ACADEMIC AND IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE HAD NOT GIVEN HIM THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BACKGROUND THAT'S PREFERRED FOR ANYONE
OVERSEEING THE NATION'S MULTIFACETED, 29-BILLION-A-YEAR
INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS. FURTHER, [MR.] LAKE WAS
BURDENED WITH SOME HEAVY POLITICAL BAGGAGE ....... BUT
NEITHER SINGLY NOR TOGETHER WOULD .....THESE BLEMISHES
..... ORDINARILY BE CONSIDERED DISQUALIFYING. UNTIL
NOW, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HAD BEEN REGARDED AS
SOMETHING OF A MODEL OF BIPARTISAN COOPERATION. DOES
THE TREATMENT OF [MR.] LAKE SIGNAL A CHANGE IN THAT
TRADITION, OR DOES IT REFLECT NOT MUCH MORE THAN THE
ABIDING IF NEVER EXPLAINED PERSONAL ANIMUS OF THE
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND A FEW OF HIS COLLEAGUES TO THE
NOMINEE?"
TEXT: ON THAT QUESTION, WE LEAVE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL
COMMENT ON ANTHONY LAKE'S WITHDRAWAL THIS WEEK FROM
CONSIDERATION AS HEAD OF THE C-I-A.
NEB/ANG/NL
19-Mar-97 1:57 PM EST (1857 UTC)
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