4 in Bruising Fight to Head Armed Services Panel

As Democratic contenders of sharply conflicting views on national defense plunged into a bruising campaign for chairmanship of the House Armed Services Committee, party leaders Thursday issued a routine endorsement of the panel’s most senior member, Rep. Charles E. Bennett of Florida, for the job.

A day after House Democrats ousted moderate Chairman Les Aspin of Wisconsin, at least four congressmen, including both Aspin and Bennett, launched efforts to win the post.

House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.) called the endorsement of Bennett the “traditional thing . . . an act of courtesy” because of the Floridian’s seniority. But the gesture was not considered to have crucial weight in the race.

The outcome of the race is important not only because the chairman will head one of the most powerful committees in Congress, but because he will be the House Democrats’ most prominent spokesman on defense issues.

‘A Lot of Knives’

“There are a lot of knives out on all sides,” said Rep. Leon E. Panetta of Monterey.

Some House Democrats worried that the swirl of dissension could weaken their voice on defense policy at a time when the President is expected to be more vulnerable to challenge.

“It is not in the interest of our country or our party to have all this turmoil,” said Bennett.

Rep. Mel Levine (D-Santa Monica) said that the competition in the House may further boost the rising star of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn (D-Ga.). “In the near term it does give the apparent face of leadership and direction to Sam Nunn. I’m not sure that needs to remain the case, though,” said Levine, co-chairman of the House Military Reform Caucus.

House Democrats will not vote for a new chairman for about two weeks. That sets the stage for a period of non-stop, intense campaigning by the four leading candidates, including conservative Marvin Leath of Texas and liberal Rep. Nicholas Mavroules of Massachusetts, as well as Bennett and Aspin.

The process was under way within minutes of Wednesday’s 130-124 secret ballot vote of no confidence in Aspin.

Aspin Still in Race

An aide said that the deposed chairman was on the telephone until midnight trying to recoup lost support and that he was up again prowling the House corridors on Thursday. Aspin brushed off questions from reporters, saying only that he was going to stay in the race.

“Of course, why not?” he asked.

In pressing his bid, Bennett was citing his nearly four decades of House seniority. House leaders in the Steering and Policy Committee, an arm of the House leadership, reportedly voted 16 to 11 in a closed session to formally endorse Bennett for the job.

Wright is believed by some on Capitol Hill to be sympathetic to his fellow Texan, Leath, whose insurgent campaign against Aspin led to the chairman’s downfall Wednesday. Wright said that he was “not greatly surprised” at the turn of events but added that he would be “fair and even-handed” in the race for the chairmanship.

Leath said that more than 50 other House Democrats, both liberal and conservative, were actively helping him. His appeal is his reputation as a consensus maker and his promise to “attempt to break down a lot of the polarization that had developed over the years.” Aspin was criticized for his leadership style and for taking the committee in a more conservative direction than some liberal members could accept.

A Liberal Bent

Even though the Armed Services Committee has tended to be conservative, there is a decidedly liberal bent to House Democrats as a group. Leath acknowledged: “I am conservative and I expect that I always will be.” But he said that, when he served on the Budget Committee, “we learned we could agree with each other, we found that liberals and conservatives could agree on anything.”

At least some liberals, however, tried to keep the race focused on some of the major issues that divide them from conservatives.

Mavroules said that his history of opposition to the MX missile is a “significant factor” to be considered by Democrats in choosing a new Armed Services chairman. He said that the race is wide open and that no candidate can be confident of a majority. “It’s not over by a long shot, I promise you.”

Meanwhile, Democratic leaders increased the majority membership of the committee from 27 to 31.