
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994                    TAG: 9406010009 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A14    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Medium 
DATELINE: 940601                                 LENGTH:

MORE ADVENTURES OF AIR CLINTON\

{LEAD} President Clinton wasted no time last week firing White House administrative aide David Watkins for taking a presidential helicopter to play golf at a Maryland country club. But a revealing investigative report in the current American Spectator about Watkins' role in the almost-forgotten White House travel-office affair of May 1993 raises suspicions that his rapid exit might have had a different motivation.

Watkins' actions certainly merited dismissal. The junket, however, never would have come to light had a local newspaper not printed a photo of the helicopter that came to the attention of the local (Republican) congressman. And while the White House has insisted that such abuses are rare, it balked over the weekend at releasing the records to prove it.

{REST} What might have speeded Watkins out the door, however, is an article in the June issue of the American Spectator, ``Air Clinton'' by David Brock. It reveals a sordid effort to frame the employees of the White House Travel Office on trumped-up charges of financial chicanery in order to replace them with cronies from Arkansas. Watkins was at the center of this effort.

Don't feel too sorry about Watkins having to write a check for $13,000-plus to compensate the taxpayers for the use of the helicopter. Brock's article reveals Watkins to be a Little Rock millionaire who ran an advertising agency. Watkins also helped Mrs. Clinton make a cool $46,000 on a $2,000 investment in obtaining and then selling a cellular-phone franchise.

Watkins was also friendly with Betta Carney, owner of World Wide Travel and a distant cousin of the candidate, which handled the Clinton campaign's travel business. After the election, Watkins decided to hand White House business over to World Wide. The only problem was the White House travel personnel.

The result was the unproven charges of financial irregularities, the summary firing of the entire staff and the pressure on the FBI to find criminal behavior where there was none. The FBI's investigation, according to published reports, is coming to a conclusion. Perhaps the president thought that conclusion might be so embarrassing that it was best to broom Watkins now rather than later.

Even without his whirlybird adventures, Watkins deserved what happened to him. But the White House shouldn't be left with the impression that the shocking behavior of its staff in the Travelgate affair can be glossed over by the departure of one staffer. A full investigation by Congress is called for, but we're not holding our breath.

President Clinton wasted no time last week firing White House administrative aide David Watkins for taking a presidential helicopter to play golf at a Maryland country club. But a revealing investigative report in the current American Spectator about Watkins' role in the almost-forgotten White House travel-office affair of May 1993 raises suspicions that his rapid exit might have had a different motivation.

What might have speeded Watkins out the door, however, is an article in the June issue of the American Spectator, ``Air Clinton'' by David Brock. It reveals a sordid effort to frame the employees of the White House Travel Office on trumped-up charges of financial chicanery in order to replace them with cronies from Arkansas. Watkins was at the center of this effort.

by CNB