It’s Congress’ Fault U.S. Is in Honduras--Robertson

U.S. troops are in Honduras because Congress refused to vote more aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, presidential hopeful Pat Robertson charged Sunday in a speech loudly applauded by a predominantly Latino audience in Santa Ana.

In his speech to about 1,800 people attending religious services at Templo Calvario, an Assembly of God church, the former television evangelist charged that by that vote, Congress has said in effect: “We are unwilling to fight communism.” He also blamed Congress for lack of a united U.S. foreign policy.

Aims to Play Convention Role

The beleaguered candidate--whose race for the Republican presidential nomination has yet to gain steam and who has stopped just short of conceding defeat--outlined his strategy to sweep all 175 delegates in California’s Republican primary June 7, thereby gaining a voice at the Republican National Convention Aug. 15-18 in New Orleans.

“The reason I am in (the presidential race) is to be a conservative spokesman for the convention,” Robertson said.

But he added that he also sees the race as laying the groundwork for his 1992 presidential bid.

In Orange County during a campaign swing through California over the weekend, Robertson said he hopes to galvanize an army of 100,000 faithful volunteers, many drawn from the ranks of churches such as Templo Calvario, where he spoke passionately of the need to support “freedom fighters” in Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique “and particularly in Nicaragua.”

Last Wednesday, President Reagan, acting as commander-in-chief, ordered 3,200 U.S. troops into Honduras, saying the move was necessary because the Sandinista government had invaded Honduras to seek out the Contra rebels who oppose the leftist Nicaraguan government.

While many congressmen have said they oppose Reagan’s decision, Robertson charged that they are the ones responsible for U.S. troops being sent to strife-torn Central America.

“We no longer speak as one nation,” Robertson said. “We send confusion overseas. Even now, brave American men are in Honduras. There’s a possibility they may be sent into battle. They might be killed. Why are they there? Because the Congress of the United States refused to vote aid for the Contras.

Congress Blamed

“And as a result, the Sandinistas were emboldened to begin a military adventure across the border into Honduras. They invaded a neighbor, contrary to international law, because they perceived that America was divided. They heard a message from the Congress that said, ‘We are unwilling to fight communism,’ and so they said, ‘We can move with impunity against our neighbors (in Honduras).’ ”

Later, during a brief news conference, Robertson elaborated on how he plans to win California’s presidential primary. Unlike many other states that apportion delegates on the percentage of popular vote, California’s Republican primary is a “winner-take-all” election.

He repeated his frequently made claim that he can rally up to 100,000 volunteers for the primary, yet acknowledged that winning in California would not be easy. “But if anyone can pull it off, I’m the one,” he said.

According to the latest Associated Press tally, Robertson currently has won only 17 delegates to the Republican National Convention. By late last week, front-runner George Bush had captured 774 delegates and Kansas Sen. Bob Dole was a distant second with 178 delegates.

Robertson said that while it appears unlikely that he can win the presidential nomination, he hopes to be a strong conservative influence on the Republican National Convention, and California’s 175 Republican delegates could go a long way toward that goal.

Thousands of Volunteers

“I want to see about 100,000 volunteers (in California),” he said. “If we can get many people working, it will do two things: It will give me a possibility of winning the state, and it will also give me a grass-roots organization which will be extraordinarily beneficial in helping people get elected to the (state) Assembly, to Congress, and to lay the foundation again for a run in 1992, assuming that’s what I’m going to do.”

Robertson said one of his goals is to help the Republican Party take control of both houses of the state Legislature. Some of his supporters in Orange County already are filing for the the county’s Republican Central Committee.

But while emphasizing his potential strengths, Robertson inched closer to making an outright concession that he cannot defeat Bush for the party’s presidential nomination.

“As you know, the Republican nomination looks pretty much wrapped up for George Bush,” he said. “I’m enough of a realist to know that I’m not Don Quixote. However, I am running all the way to New Orleans so that I can be a conservative voice, champion of the conservative people.”

Denounces Abortion

During his speech at Templo Calvario, 2609 W. Fifth St., Robertson won rousing ovations as he pledged to “bring God back to the public schools of the United States” and denounced abortion.

Under his presidency, Robertson told the predominantly Latino audience, he would have “Hispanics . . . at the highest levels (of government), including in the Cabinet.”

In his speech, which was translated simultaneously by Dr. Dan de Leon, pastor of Templo Calvario, Robertson added that the new U.S. amnesty law “should be enforced as leniently as possible.”

Robertson said he will wrap up his West Coast campaign swing today with a “closed meeting” with California executives of ARCO to discuss energy policy issues before returning to the East Coast.