THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 26, 1994 TAG: 9411240030
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Republican governors, including those just elected, gathered this week in Williamsburg with leaders of the new majority in Congress. They celebrated their ascendancy, but also took a hard look at what it will take to govern.
Governors demanded a new federalism that would return power to the states and limit the mandates and regulations that rain down from Washington. Sen. Bob Packwood delivered the sound bite of the day. He said a Republican Congress could do that, but no mandates would mean no money.
Conservative governors like Virginia's George Allen and New Jersey's Christine Todd Whitman said that if that was the price of freedom they'd pay it gladly. But the voters may be less enthusiastic when they realize the price of lower federal taxes is a loss of the government security blanket or an increase in state and local taxes.
Other differences within the Republican ranks have begun to emerge. Sen. Jesse Helms, who will chair the Foreign Relations Committee, has expressed a series of extreme views culminating in the supposedly light-hearted warning, on the anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, that President Clinton had better bring a bodyguard if he visits North Carolina. Sober Republicans have begun to distance themselves from Helms, but keeping him reined in may tax the ingenuity of Senate leaders.
Speaker-to-be Newt Gingrich promised a vote on a school-prayer amendment by July. But the issue was deliberately left out of the Contract With America because it divided Republicans. It continues to do so.
Some, like Sen. Orrin Hatch, say they would prefer to worry about the economy first and leave divisive social issues until later. The Republican governors agreed that meat-and-potato issues should take precedence. And spokesmen for a number of Protestant denominations warned that the school-prayer amendment was a booby trap that could actually be bad for religion.
As further evidence that social issues should be placed far down the list, a post-election Wall Street Journal/NBC poll showed that what voters want most are welfare reform, health-care reform, middle-class tax relief and a balanced budget.
Even if Republicans do concentrate on the budget and deficit, there's no consensus on what to keep and what to cut or how to raise revenues. For instance, Rep. Bill Archer who will head the powerful Ways and Means committee wants to phase out the income tax in favor of a consumption tax. But Rep. Dick Armey, who will become majority leader, is dead set against a consumption tax and wants a flat income tax.
It's early innings for the Republicans, but they need to worry about falling into the same errors as President Clinton who came to Washington just two years ago with a similar mandate to make fundamental changes.
Clinton squandered a chance to preside over a centrist revolution through a lack of discipline, an inability to prioritize and a willingness to pander to his party's extremists and entrenched powers. By galloping off in all directions at once and addressing side issues, he lost credibility and clout in a hurry.
Now the Republicans are in the majority in Congress and have the mandate. To deliver on their promise of a more efficient, less intrusive, less expensive government, they will have to adopt a limited agenda, put their priorities in order and bridge internal differences. It won't be easy.
KEYWORDS: REPUBLICAN PARTY CONGRESS
by CNB