GOP Plans ‘Tower Test’ for Grilling Nominees

Republicans are calling it the “Tower test”--the grudge-settling standard by which they intend to measure the qualifications of some of President-elect Clinton’s Cabinet appointees.

Still angry at the way Senate Democrats used attacks on the personal behavior and ethics of the late Sen. John Tower (R-Tex.) to defeat his nomination as defense secretary in 1989, some GOP senators are preparing to ask equally barbed questions of any Clinton appointees who seem vulnerable.

“Most of us would prefer to forget that unhappy chapter in our history,” declared Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), referring to the politically bloody fight over Tower’s nomination. “But the truth is that it did happen and it certainly did establish a precedent for the consideration of future nominees.”

After an intense, partisan battle, Tower’s nomination foundered on his record as a paid lobbyist for defense contractors and on bawdy tales of excessive drinking and womanizing. So far, none of Clinton’s appointees has been criticized for personal conduct but Republicans made clear they intend to scrutinize the full list carefully.

And already it is clear that some--including Commerce Secretary-designate Ronald H. Brown--will be questioned extensively about past lobbying activities.

While it is highly unlikely that any of Clinton’s nominees actually will be defeated by the Republicans, who constitute only a minority in the Senate, there is a chance the GOP could succeed in seriously embarrassing some of the nominees.

It could be said that Clinton himself was subjected to the “Tower test” during the presidential campaign. He was elected even though President Bush and many Republicans argued that the Arkansas governor’s efforts to escape the draft were as relevant as the allegations that deprived Tower of the Pentagon job.

Of the people that Clinton has nominated so far, Democratic National Committee Chairman Brown offers Republicans their biggest potential target. Members of the Senate Commerce Committee who will pass on Brown’s appointment say the nominee will be asked some “penetrating questions” by the Republicans about his role as a lobbyist for foreign interests, including then-Haitian dictator Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier.

Likewise, some Republicans are preparing to object to others whose names have appeared on Clinton’s list of potential nominees, such as Sen. Timothy E. Wirth (D-Colo.). If Wirth is designated as Clinton’s energy secretary, GOP senators indicated he will be grilled about his allegedly close ties to the cable television and junk bond industries.

Challenging Wirth would be sweet revenge for some Republicans who recall that the Colorado senator, who decided not to seek reelection this year, was outspoken against the Tower nomination. McCain said that Wirth “would be judged by the same standard that he exacted on Sen. Tower.”

The GOP threat already has forced the Clinton Administration to think twice about some of its potential nominees--reportedly including Wirth. Vernon E. Jordan Jr., chairman of Clinton’s transition effort, was said to have been ruled out for attorney general in the new Administration because of his long history as a lobbyist for big corporate interests, including tobacco firm R. J. Reynolds.

Officially, the Senate GOP caucus is on record as wanting to give Clinton’s nominations the benefit of the doubt. Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) has said publicly that the President-elect has a right to appoint whomever he wants to the Cabinet and he has pledged that Clinton’s appointees will receive “prompt consideration.”

And some GOP senators are known to doubt the political wisdom of challenging Clinton’s nominees. If Republicans appear to be unreasonably hostile to Clinton, they fear, they could appear to be perpetuating the partisan gridlock that has been blamed for government’s past failures.

Certainly there is no sentiment among Republicans to challenge the nomination of Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.) as Treasury secretary. Bentsen, former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is held in high regard on both sides of the aisle.

Still, some Republicans have indicated that they would hate to pass up an opportunity to make the partisan point that Democrats as well as Republicans can be held to the “Tower test.”

Furthermore, several Senate sources said the Republicans believe they have an obligation to grill the Democratic nominees, no matter what the consequences. As one key GOP strategist put it, “The public expects the loyal opposition to scrutinize these nominees.”

The “Tower test” is a phrase that originated with the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle, who declared during an appearance in Colorado last October that Clinton ought to be held to the same standard. Quayle also quoted from a statement made during the Tower debate by Wirth, who asserted that Tower’s personal life and ethics were as relevant to his qualifications for the Cabinet post as his professional credentials.

McCain indicated that Wirth’s remarks will be repeated by Republicans if he is nominated as energy secretary. On that basis, he said, Wirth will be asked about the assistance he allegedly gave to the junk bond and cable industries, which helped to fund his previous campaigns. Wirth has denied the allegations.

Republicans said Brown would surely be questioned about his service as a lobbyist for a wide range of foreign and domestic clients, including the Sultan of Oman and several Japanese electronics firms, as well as the government of Haiti. Brown, a partner in the law firm of Patton, Boggs & Blow, has said confidently these ties will not deprive him of Senate confirmation.

By and large, however, Republicans are predicting that most of Clinton’s appointees will be called to task more for their views on policy issues than for their personal or ethical behavior.