Iran-Contra Hearings

The Iran- contra hearings offer an extraordinary view of the machinations, manipulations and intrigue involving men in and our of government--some motivated by patriotism, albeit misplaced--some by greed--and some by the drive for power and influence.

There is another aspect to the hearings, however, that is equally significant and, perhaps, of even more importance to the American people. I refer to the character and integrity of our senators and representatives who sit in judgment of the players in this drama.

Let us look at the Republicans first. There are those like Sens. Warren Rudman of New Hampshire and William Cohen of Maine who have shed their partisanship to seek the truth wherever--and on whomever--the chips may fall. Then there are the Rep. Henry Hydes of Illinois and the Sen. Orrin Hatches of Utah whose obvious and biased interests lie in protecting the Reagan Administration no matter how damning the evidence. The contrast is sharp between those who put their country first and those who are beholden only to their party.

The Democrats, too, are not without blame--or shame. There are the Jack Brookses of Texas who literally rub their hands in glee with every sharp jab to the Administration’s chin--no matter that the reflection of these hearings diminish our country in the eyes of the entire world. Contrast that to the behavior of the Daniel Inouyes of Hawaii and the David Borens of Oklahoma, men whose distress shows on their faces as they seek out the truth, knowing--and fearing--full well that it will not reflect honor and may very well do more permanent damage to us as a nation than even Watergate.

I hope that Americans who are watching these hearings will monitor very carefully the attitudes and actions of their elected representatives in the Congress--and that it will be reflected in their voting patterns as these men seek reelection. The future of America depends, in large measure, on a truly bipartisan government. The American people deserve no less.

DAVID LESSER CAPLAN

Palm Springs