House GOP Nominates Livingston as Speaker

House Republicans, in a dramatic but smooth transfer of power, Wednesday nominated Rep. Bob Livingston of Louisiana to be the next speaker, catapulted their sole black member--J. C. Watts Jr. of Oklahoma--into the upper ranks of leadership and sacked the head of their much-criticized campaign committee.

The shake-up sent a clear message that the party’s restive rank-and-file wanted to replace Speaker Newt Gingrich’s volatile regime with one that is less rancorous, more inclusive and better able to deliver a crisp political message in the wake of the party’s disappointing electoral showing earlier this month.

“I stand before you with a new covenant to enact our agenda and build our bases,” Livingston told his colleagues in a speech accepting their nomination to be speaker, which must be ratified by the full House when the new Congress convenes in January.

He added: “The warning of the last election wasn’t just handwriting on the wall, it was a billboard.”

House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas was reelected to the No. 2 spot but only after fending off a stiff and chastening challenge from three colleagues.

Wednesday’s GOP votes, all behind closed doors, signaled the end of an era in Congress--the four remarkable years dominated by Gingrich’s rebellious brand of conservatism that had brought the GOP to power in the 1994 election. But after the Nov. 3 election, in which the surprise loss of five seats reduced the party’s hold on the House to a bare six-vote margin, Republicans began clamoring for new leaders.

Gingrich initially sought to hang onto the speakership. But hours after Livingston, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, launched a challenge to Gingrich, the Georgian announced that he would give up his post and resign his House seat.

Under Livingston, who won the speakership nomination by acclamation, Republicans are expecting the House to operate as a less-partisan place, where power will be concentrated less in the speaker’s office. Because Livingston himself has been a committee chairman, lawmakers predicted that he will be more inclined than Gingrich was to share power with the panels.

“The personality of Bob Livingston is not going to dominate,” said Rep. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.).

An early test will be how he handles the impeachment proceedings arising from President Clinton’s relationship with Monica S. Lewinsky. Livingston has said he would defer to the Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.).

The committee seems to be steaming toward sending articles of impeachment to the full House but many Republicans are squirming at the prospect of voting on the issue. A key question is whether Livingston will intervene to short-circuit a process he has indicated he wants over by the time he becomes speaker in January.

2 Top Lieutenants Keep Their Jobs

Gingrich’s two top lieutenants--Armey and House Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Texas, the No. 3 leader--held on to their jobs. But the selections of Livingston as speaker, Watts as head of the Republican Conference--the No. 4 slot in the leadership hierarchy--and Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia as new chairman of the GOP’s House campaign committee was hailed as a new beginning for the beleaguered GOP.

“The Republican Party has a new team on the field,” Graham said. “We’re diversifying who we are.”

Indeed, Watts’ selection was seen by some Republicans as key to any hopes the party has of broadening its appeal to minority voters. It also makes him the highest-ranking black in congressional leadership since former Rep. William H. Gray III, a Pennsylvania Democrat, was House Majority Whip from 1989 to ’91.

House Democrats, who chose their leaders for the next session Monday, will have one Latino but no blacks in their top ranks.

Watts, a former star quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, defeated Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio. Boehner had played a large role in the party’s public relations strategy and many blamed him for the party’s failure to communicate its message more effectively in the recent campaign.

Even more criticism for the election losses was heaped on Rep. John Linder of Georgia, a Gingrich ally who had been chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Davis, a moderate, defeated Linder on a 130-77 vote.

Rep. Christopher Cox of Newport Beach was reelected without opposition to the No. 5 leadership job, chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. Cox briefly campaigned for speaker after Gingrich decided to step down but abandoned his bid as it became clear that Livingston had far more support.

Livingston’s nomination is expected to be ratified on a party-line vote of the full House when the new Congress convenes next year. The other party leaders are not subject to such a vote.

Before Livingston was anointed as the new speaker Wednesday, Gingrich appeared for a farewell speech and was greeted with a standing ovation. Gingrich exhorted his colleagues to patch up their intraparty wounds, settle on a simple agenda and stick together behind it.

“His message was . . . if we’re going to continue to remain as a majority, we have to act like a team and we need to figure out two or three things we believe in,” said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.).

After his brief address, Gingrich passed the wooden speaker’s gavel to Livingston and left the ornate caucus room where the party continued to meet for the rest of the day. Gingrich flew to Orlando for a vacation in Disney World.

“You had a sense of history as he was exiting the stage,” said Rep. David M. McIntosh (R-Ind.).

Livingston, in his acceptance speech, offered no dramatic new policy initiatives but cited four of his party’s mainstay issues as his goals: lower taxes, smaller government, less bureaucracy and a stronger national defense. He steered clear of divisive social issues such as abortion and said not a word about the impeachment investigation of Clinton.

He offered an olive branch to Democrats: “I want to be the speaker of the whole House in a tradition that fosters cooperation and respect.”

But he also struck a confrontational note: “We won’t betray our philosophy to win applause, nor abandon good policy in the search of praise,” he said. “We must cooperate to move forward--but we will not capitulate.

“In short,” Livingston said, in an echo of a controversial, fiery floor speech he gave during the 1995 government shutdown, “we will never, never, never give in.”

Livingston candidly acknowledged the difficulties he will face keeping the party’s factions together. “Leading Republicans is like herding cats,” he said. “Clearly we hold different views among ourselves but must speak with one unified voice.”

He also acknowledged that the GOP had faltered in the November election. His diagnosis of the problem: “We lost focus, we forgot to say what we stand for, who we are, what we want to do. We didn’t run out of ideas--we simply neglected to run on our ideas.”

Even as Republicans praised the arrival of new messengers for their party, they were still trying to sort out what their message should be. They agree that the GOP should be the party of low taxes but it is not clear what kind of tax cut they want next year. Some are pushing to replace Social Security with individual retirement accounts; others are wary.

“We need to first sit down and determine what are the most important issues that need to be addressed and then get the message out,” said Rep. Tillie K. Fowler (R-Fla.).

Armey Criticized as Inaccessible

Armey, in his bid to remain majority leader, faced challenges from opponents who criticized him for being an awkward spokesman and too inaccessible to fellow Republicans. Steve Largent of Oklahoma, a former star receiver for the Seattle Seahawks, ran with strong backing from conservatives. Also running was Rep. Jennifer Dunn of Washington, a more moderate Republican whom many supported as a way to increase the party’s appeal to women.

Republicans dissatisfied with all three of these choices nominated a reluctant fourth candidate, Rep. J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, a popular lawmaker who is now chief deputy majority whip.

Three ballots had to be taken before Armey won a majority. In the final ballot, after previous rounds eliminated the other candidates, Armey went head-to-head with Largent and won, 125 to 97.

Armey benefited from the inability of his critics to coalesce behind one candidate. But his opponents hoped that his brush with defeat would send a clear message that he needs to develop a more inclusive style.

Armey’s reelection may have helped fuel the drive to elect Watts, as some wavering members saw the Oklahoman as their best remaining hope to bring a new face and more diversity to the leadership.

Times staff writer Art Pine contributed to this story.