Dannemeyer Gets Debate on Rep. Frank

Rep. William E. Dannemeyer’s rancorous campaign to oust from Congress embattled Rep. Barney Frank, one of two openly gay congressmen, will end today in an all-out assault on the floor of the House of Representatives.

In a deal struck Wednesday with a key House Democrat, Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) will be allowed one hour for debate on his motion to expel Frank (D-Mass.), who has been accused of ethics violations arising from his relationship with a male prostitute whom Frank placed on his personal staff.

“Barney Frank is a de facto criminal,” said Dannemeyer, referring to Frank’s acknowledgement of a homosexual relationship with admitted prostitute Stephen L. Gobie. “Politics is all that protects him from the bar of justice, both inside and outside the halls of Congress.” Dannemeyer is perhaps the most severe critic of homosexual activism in Congress.

Frank on Wednesday declined to discuss Dannemeyer’s statement or the motion to expel.

The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, commonly known as the ethics committee, recommended Friday that the House give Frank a formal reprimand--the least serious of three types of punishment that the full House can administer.

But Dannemeyer and other Republicans have argued that a reprimand is not enough. House Republican Whip Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has suggested that he or another Republican will move to formally censure Frank, the punishment that falls between reprimand and expulsion.

Only one member of the House has been expelled in this century, but at least two others have resigned in the face of expulsion moves.

Few believe that Dannemeyer’s motion will muster the necessary two-thirds vote of the members in attendance. But a Dannemeyer aide said that getting an hour of debate is, in itself, a victory.

However, a motion to censure requires only a majority vote. Some have suggested that Dannemeyer is really trying to “soften up” the House with his motion to expel so representatives later will approve a Republican motion to censure.

But Dannemeyer said Wednesday: “It was not my intention to do that. I’m sincere in my effort.”

In an interview, Dannemeyer cast the debate on Frank as part of a larger debate on morality.

“Mr. Frank is a small part of the cultural war going on in America, a conflict between the Judeo-Christian ethic, which says there are standards . . . and the other philosophy, which says there are no standards. It’s a philosophy of moral relativism,” he said.

But others said the Frank case must be considered on its merits.

“I think what (Dannemeyer) appears to be doing is again using Barney Frank as a soapbox,” said Rep. Barbara Boxer (D-Greenbrae), a liberal who said she will vote to reprimand Frank. “Barney was wrong,” she added. “He should be reprimanded. But let’s not turn this into a forum on Bill Dannemeyer’s philosophy of life.”

Dannemeyer was assured of that forum Wednesday during a meeting with Rep. Julian Dixon, ethics committee chairman, who agreed to give Dannemeyer half an hour to make his case for the expulsion and another half an hour for rebuttal.