THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603020235
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DALE EISMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
A year after he was embarrassed by reports of his involvement in an abortive attempt to depose the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John W. Warner of Virginia has quietly gained what may be effective leadership of the panel.
Romie L. ``Les'' Brownlee, who has worked in various capacities for Warner and the committee for 12 years, was installed Wednesday as the committee's staff director, replacing retired Brig. Gen. Richard Reynard.
Capitol Hill sources suggested the shift should enhance Warner's influence as Armed Services works to shape the 1997 and subsequent defense budgets. Warner brushed aside that notion, saying Brownlee's ``loyalty is 100 percent'' to committee chairman J. Strom Thurmond.
Warner is the second-ranking Republican on the powerful committee. He and some other GOP senators reportedly attempted last year to shove aside the 93-year-old Thurmond because of concerns that the South Carolinian sometimes appeared disoriented during committee hearings.
Thurmond headed off the coup, which would have made Warner committee chairman. Warner and others denied any plotting, but relations between Warner and Thurmond appeared strained.
``Only for a brief period last year was there some tension between us,'' Warner insisted Thursday. He and Thurmond now have ``an excellent working relationship,'' the Virginian added, so much so that Thurmond sought his advice in considering a successor to Reynard.
``I very strongly endorsed Les Brownlee,'' Warner said.
A retired Army colonel who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, Brownlee is a native Texan and a graduate of the University of Wyoming. He also holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Alabama.
Brownlee joined Warner's staff after leaving the Army in 1984, serving as an adviser on defense issues. He was assigned to the committee staff in 1987 but retained special responsibilities to Warner, who at that time was the panel's senior Republican.
Thurmond's statement announcing the appointment cited Brownlee's long service to Warner and other senators and praised him as ``a man with a keen intellect and proven abilities.'' by CNB