THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994 TAG: 9406250241
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ANGIE CANNON, KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: 940625 LENGTH: WASHINGTON
During an interview with St. Louis radio station KMOX, Clinton also blasted evangelical Christian broadcasters, notably Jerry Falwell, whose political organization has been peddling anti-Clinton videotapes during religious broadcasts.
{REST} ``Remember, Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple,'' Clinton said during an interview on Air Force One en route to Missouri. ``He didn't try to take over the job of the money-changers.''
Clinton blamed a new culture of cynicism and intolerance in America on negative news reporting and vicious talk-radio commentary. He said American soldiers who stormed the Normandy beaches 50 years ago ``did not die so Americans could indulge in the luxury of cynicism.''
Clinton became increasingly angry as his interviewer questioned him about his political fund-raising and allegations that White House aides had filched towels and robes during their D-Day stay on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The president suggested that reporters may have stolen some of the items.
``After I get off the radio today with you, Rush Limbaugh will have three hours to say whatever he wants,'' Clinton bristled. ``And I won't have any opportunity to respond. And there's no `truth detector.' You won't get on afterwards and say what was true and what wasn't.''
Limbaugh fired back on his radio show a half-hour later: ``There is no need for a truth detector. I am the truth detector.''
However, a recent article in The New Republic magazine shows Limbaugh is not always accurate. The author monitored a month of Limbaugh's shows and reported numerous uncorrected errors.
Limbaugh called Clinton's outburst a desperate move by a White House that is losing its battle for health care reform. ``They are pulling out all the stops,'' said Limbaugh, who has an estimated 20 million listeners. ``The gauntlet has been thrown.''
William Kristol, chairman of the Project for the Republican Future, said it was politically unwise for Clinton to spar with Limbaugh.
``Even if you're not a Limbaugh fan, it looks ridiculous for the president of the United States to attack a radio talk-show host,'' Kristol said.
Another GOP strategist, Bill McInturff, agreed. ``Here he has the most powerful bully pulpit in the world, and he wants to get into a running debate with radio talk-show jocks.''
However, Arthur Kropp, president of People for the American Way, a liberal Washington-based organization that monitors the religious right in politics, said, ``I don't think we should be afraid of challenging the religious right political machine.
``They do, as a movement, create this negative, cynical environment,'' Kropp said. ``They are about attacking, pitting one American against another. Yes, the president should call them on that as a movement. He is ultimately responsible for bringing this nation together.''
Clinton's comments came as 79 GOP House members demanded the resignation of Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, escalating a fight over Democratic attacks on right-wing Republicans. Earlier this week, Elders talked about the ``un-Christian religious right.''
Thursday, 44 Republican senators asked Clinton to disavow remarks by California Rep. Vic Fazio, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who criticized the rise of the radical right in GOP politics.
Friday, Clinton fumed at a suggestion that he was embroiled in political mudslinging with fundamentalists.
``I do not believe that people should be criticized for their religious convictions, but neither do I believe that people can put on the mantle of religion and then justify anything they say or do,'' he said. ``We don't need a cultural war in this country.''
Clinton said he was tired of being pummeled by the right wing.
``I'm going to be far more aggressive because the American people are entitled to know what's going on good in this country,'' he vowed.
by CNB