Democratic Response: Put Mistakes Behind Us

Sen. George J. Mitchell (D-Me.) said Wednesday night that President Reagan made grave mistakes in the Iran- contra affair, but, once recognized and corrected, “they should be put behind us.”

Mitchell, in the Democratic response to Reagan’s address on the affair, said the President was right to acknowledge “that the buck stops with him.”

But he said the policy of selling arms to Iran for the release of U.S. hostages was “a mistake so grave that Americans now risking their lives in that region face the terrible possibility of attack by a nation we’ve helped to arm.”

And the mistake, he added, was “so grave that there are just as many Americans now held hostage in Lebanon as there were when this effort began.”

“These were serious mistakes,” Mitchell said. “But, once recognized and corrected, they should be put behind us. For there’s much to be done together.”

Mitchell, a former federal judge and a member of the Senate Iran-contra committee, coupled those harsh words with an olive branch, saying he wants the President to succeed because then the nation would succeed.

“Foremost is the need for arms control,” the senator said, and he commended the President for continued pursuit of an arms control treaty. He also said Democrats were encouraged by progress toward peace in Central America.

But he asked Reagan to join Democrats in that party’s programs for deficit reduction, trade legislation, education, civil rights, clean water and overhaul of the welfare system.

Mitchell had few kind words for those responsible for carrying out the Iran-contra affair, although he did not name them.

“America will remain a free and democratic society only if the people demand of the government what the government demands of the people: obey the law,” he said.

Mitchell added that every person is equal before the law and “no person is so high as to be above the law, and no end, however noble, justifies illegal means.”

Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) was both supportive and critical of different aspects of Reagan’s speech.

“Congress welcomes the President’s offer of cooperation,” he said. “The President has said he is accountable.”

But Byrd said there is no need for a balanced budget amendment, when the President only needs to “work with Congress now to attack the triple-digit deficit and the doubling of the public debt, which happened on his watch.”

House Majority Leader Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) said “the President’s call for cooperation was a very positive one.” But, he added:

“The importance will not be so much what the President said, but what the President does in coming months. If in fact he follows a policy of cooperation and conciliation with Congress, we will respond in a positive and affirmative way.”

Foley said he was “disappointed with some of the emphasis on some things like the constitutional amendment for a balanced budget. The President hasn’t sent one to us in all the time he’s been President.”

House Majority Whip Tony Coelho (D-Merced) said he supported the tone of Reagan’s remarks but disagreed with him on specific policies.

“He was basically saying: ‘Look, I’m sorry. The hearings served their purpose. I learned a lot from them. I didn’t know about the secret things. That was wrong to do and we’re now pursuing a bipartisan policy.’

“I found a very contrite President, one who seemed to be subdued, who wanted desperately to move on. What hurts is a majority of Americans think he’s lying.”

Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) said Reagan “made an excellent address,” but, asked how he would have changed the speech, said: “I would have liked some more specifics on how he intends to continue to support the contras .”

Mitchell said the Iran-contra affair “reminds us of how much democracy asks of us, how quickly its demands can become frustrating to those who, even though acting with patriotic motives, are convinced that they alone know what’s best.”

“It reminds us of the continuing need to reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law, the need for our leaders to say, clearly and unequivocally, that we condemn any violation of law, we condemn lying to the American people or to Congress, we condemn the destruction of important documents.

“Another basic principle of our democratic system is accountability, which means simply that public officials, like private citizens, are responsible for the consequences of their acts.”