Bush Targets Clinton’s Gulf War Stance : Politics: Campaign cites 1991 statements by the Democratic nominee that he agreed with lawmakers who favored sanctions over military action.

It is not always easy to stay on the offensive, as Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton found on Thursday.

With the government’s release of data showing economic growth slowing, Clinton broke into what was to be a day off the campaign trail to shake his finger at the Bush Administration.

Instead, at a press conference at the governor’s mansion, he found himself playing defense, trying to deflect a Bush campaign assault on Clinton’s contention that he supported the Gulf War.

On the second day of what it promises will be a daily barrage, the Bush campaign resurrected previously published Clinton quotes showing various positions on the Gulf War--from the strong support he claims now to his vocal agreement in 1991 with those who favored continued sanctions against Iraq.

At issue was Clinton’s stance in January of 1991--five months after Saddam Hussein moved his forces into Kuwait--when Congress was faced with a vote over whether to continue sanctions against Iraq or to give the President authority to send the United States into combat.

The United Nations had, at that point, set a Jan. 15 deadline for Hussein to withdraw his troops or face military action.

During the presidential campaign, Clinton has stated his position unequivocally.

“I supported the Gulf War,” he said Tuesday in Chicago, repeating the assurance he has delivered flatly for months.

But in a statement released Thursday, the Bush campaign took issue with Clinton, using local press reports that demonstrated some vacillation on the issue.

In an Associated Press report on Jan. 15, 1991, two days after Congress voted to give Bush the authority to go to war, Clinton described his position: “I agree with the arguments of the people in the minority on the resolution--that we should give sanctions more time and maybe even explore a full-scale embargo . . . before we go to war.”

That same day, the Arkansas Gazette quoted Clinton as saying that he probably would have voted to give the President authority to go to war.

“I guess I would have voted with the majority if it was a close vote,” he said. “But I agree with the arguments the minority made.”

Clinton said Thursday that he did not agree with the minority, but merely understood the views of those who favored continued sanctions. He said he would have voted to give the President authority to wage war to maintain a united front against Hussein.

“What I said was that I had a great deal of sympathy for those who were arguing that sanctions had not been given adequate time,” Clinton told reporters.

Asked why a “close vote” would have had any impact on his decision, Clinton added brusquely, “Let me tell you what I said.

“What I said was, even if I agreed with the arguments about sanctions because they were good arguments, letting them try, I still would have voted with the majority because the Congress could not afford, in my judgment, to take a stand undermining the impact of the U.N. resolution.”

For another candidate, the Gulf War stance might not be as potentially problematic. But for Clinton, it is one more accusation against a man who has been dogged by criticisms that he shades the truth for political benefit.

When he was asked over a period of years if he had smoked marijuana, for example, he said that he had never broken the laws of his state or nation. Then, last spring, he acknowledged that he had smoked marijuana while in Britain--but had not inhaled. He also admitted that there was a deliberate “pattern of omission” in his previous answers.

The Bush campaign has clearly decided to focus on the Democrat’s Gulf War positions as a way of questioning his character and his familiarity with foreign policy, the President’s strongest suit in this election campaign.

The focus extends to Clinton’s running mate, Tennessee Sen. Al Gore, a Vietnam veteran who sided with Bush in the congressional vote. Over the weekend, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) accused Gore of trading his vote for a prime-time speaking slot to explain his position.

On Thursday, Clinton called Dole’s comment “amazing.”

“They’ll devour their allies, the people who have supported them or anything else to hold onto the White House,” he said. “They think the White House belongs to the national Republican Party, not to the American people, and they will do or say anything to hold onto it.”

The tempest Thursday served as one more indication that the 96 days before the Nov. 3 general election are likely to be strewn with animosity and aggressive campaigning.

The GOP attack on Clinton’s Gulf War position followed a Tuesday barrage of criticism by Clinton aimed at Bush’s handling of Hussein in the period before and after the war. He and Gore have accused Bush of coddling and appeasing Hussein, in effect helping Iraq strengthen its military machine.

On Wednesday, the Bush campaign criticized Clinton for raising taxes in Arkansas. Simultaneously, Clinton charged that Bush had broken his promise to lead the country to better days.

Clinton did manage to get in a few digs at Bush on Thursday relating to newly released statistics showing that the economy grew half as fast from April through June as in the first quarter of the year--1.4% compared to 2.9%.

“Just the other day, Mr. Bush told the American people that he is the man we can trust to answer the phone in a time of crisis,” Clinton declared, alluding to Bush’s attempt to imply that his Democratic rivals cannot be trusted.

“Well, today’s economic statistics confirm what the American people have been trying to tell the President for some time now: We are in a crisis, an economic crisis, and it’s far more painful than this Administration has ever understood. The phone is ringing. And it’s been ringing for a long time.”

The Democratic nominee made a pitch for his economic package--as he has daily since the convention--contending that it would spur the creation of 1 million jobs per year.

“Maybe today’s statistics will be a wake-up call for the Administration that still is offering alibis, not action, while people are hurting,” he said.