Quayle Lobbying

I was alarmed to read about the “unsolicited lobbying” for specific American companies in Indonesia and Thailand performed by Vice President Dan Quayle in The Times(“Quayle Lobbied Foreign Nations for U.S. Firms,” Part I, July 30). As noted in your article, this sets “a new precedent” in the arena of vice presidential foreign relations--and for good reason!

No vice president has ever done this before because the others had the sense to realize that plugging specific companies at high-level meetings sends a confusing and misguided message to foreign leaders.

Are they to believe that they will wrest some political or financial gain from the U.S. government if they “make a deal” with Quayle?

Now, the argument given by Paul Freedenberg, who believes Quayle has initiated a great plan, is that “it’s a good way of getting attention for U.S. companies at high levels. We’re running a $130-billion (foreign trade) deficit.” This shocking statement implies that since we have spent our way into a huge national debt it’s time to throw away all reason and sense and sell off the office of vice president to the highest bidder.

How, may I ask, is the vice president going to choose the next company he lobbies for? What attempts will U.S. companies now make to “get on the VP list” for foreign lobbying? And what if President Bush decides to join in? Our government is rightly concerned with improving U.S. company shares in foreign markets. It is unfair and dangerous, however, to lobby for individual companies at high-level meetings with foreign leaders in order to achieve this improvement.

JEREMY BOWMAN

Irvine