Tom Campbell wanted to pass a bill that would require a Vote on the War Powers act, the GOP did not want this:

'GOP leaders are worried that Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) will
single-handedly foil their strategy to make the crisis in Kosovo the "Clinton-Gore war," so they are working privately to derail
Campbell's effort to force Congress to declare war or demand an
immediate retreat, several leadership sources confirmed.'

This headline only tells half the story. The GOP knows that the only way to avoid a world wide depression is a new war -- and a return to a Cold War Status. The GOP will back G.W. Bush as he rebuilds the military and brings back the Cold War.

Let's hope that we don't have to fight a hot one.

But this is the real reason the Republicans wanted Tom Campbell out of the House. They were afraid that he could single handedly derail any war plans that the new Republican president wants to start.

Where will GW start his war??

How about Montenegro? Colombia? Korea? the Middle East? Georgia? Florida? California? ....? ...? ...?

=====================================================
==============RUMOR MILL NEWS AGENCY==============
=====================================================
Dateline:04.21.99

From Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill

GOP Leaders Plan to Derail Campbell Bill
Top Republicans Avoiding Vote On War Powers Act

By Jim VandeHei

GOP leaders are worried that Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) will
single-handedly foil their strategy to make the crisis in Kosovo the
"Clinton-Gore war," so they are working privately to derail
Campbell's effort to force Congress to declare war or demand an
immediate retreat, several leadership sources confirmed.
Following a series of leadership meetings and private talks with his
fellow vote-counters, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) is
strongly considering a move to prevent votes on the resolutions by
invoking an ambiguous escape hatch written into the War Powers Act.
A House parliamentary expert said DeLay likely would succeed.
In the meantime, Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-Texas) has been
holding private talks with Campbell to explain the leadership's
position.
Campbell, a member of the International Relations Committee who has
a reputation for bucking leadership and standing firm, last week
invoked the War Powers Act to force floor votes on a declaration of
war and the withdrawal of troops from the region. The votes are
tentatively slated to occur before May 4.
The War Powers Act provides any Member the authority to demand and
receive a floor vote, but GOP leaders are frantically searching for
a way out. If Campbell were to succeed, Congress would be forced
either to declare war or to face the prospects of a court fight over
the withdrawal of troops.
Both options scare GOP leaders. "This is the Clinton-Gore war and we
want nothing to do with it," said a senior GOP leadership adviser.
"If we declare war, it's our war."
The GOP leadership -- led by DeLay and Armey -- wants President
Clinton and Vice President Al Gore to own sole responsibility of the
unpredictable crisis in Kosovo.
House GOPleaders privately say they do not want House Republicans on
record defining the mission or declaring the war.
"What I disagree with is the process of us defining a policy that
clearly the [Clinton administration] should define," said Chief
Deputy Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who confirmed that DeLay and others
were exploring parliamentary options to thwart Campbell.
Under DeLay's emerging plan, leadership would take advantage of
Section 6 of the War Powers Act, which states that a vote is
mandated "unless such House shall otherwise determine by the yeas
and nays."
DeLay was unavailable for comment. Armey spokesman Jim Wilkinson
confirmed that Armey has discussed the topic with Campbell, but he
refused to divulge details.
Campbell said Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) promised him a vote
and he would be upset if leadership used a parliamentary loophole to
avoid Congress' constitutional duty.
"I would be disappointed if a vote were not permitted," said
Campbell. "I believe that the rules require a vote, so I would be
very disappointed if that were not granted. But I have every
expectation that it will be granted."
Hastert spokesman John Feehery said the Speaker has no plans to
break his promise, but he won't interfere if Armey and DeLay try to
intervene. "The Speaker does not think this is the direction we
ought to go, but he won't try to talk [Campbell] out of it."
At several closed-door meetings last week, from Hastert on down,
there was virtual unanimity that Clinton has to take responsibility
for the war and that there's no upside to the Republican-controlled
Congress seizing control of the crisis at this juncture.
Campbell understands their reticence, but he is resolved to demand
the votes. The resolution to withdraw the troops is scheduled to
come up before May 1, while the declaration of war requires a floor
vote by May 4.
At this point, leadership sources on both sides of the aisle say
that both resolutions would likely fail.
"It's a lot easier politically [to drop the issue]," said Campbell.
"If [the war] works out okay, you were with him, and if it doesn't,
you saw it coming."
But, he added, "If Congress does not stand up for its constitutional
right to declare war in this instance, there is nothing left to the
constitutional requirement that Congress and only Congress declare
war."
Under the 1973 War Powers Act, Congress does have sole the power to
declare war, but it has not used that authority since 1941.
Campbell does not want to declare war, but he believes Congress has
to act.
Short of that, he believes it's unconstitutional for Clinton to
deploy troops without Congressional consent. That's the motivation
behind his crusade.
Campbell said he has assembled a three-person legal team to force
the Supreme Court to rule if Clinton's actions violate the
Constitution.
But he needs the House to officially vote in order to attain the
legal standing necessary to bring the case before the Supreme Court.
Therefore he will fight to the bitter end to force this floor vote,
he said.
Campbell is basing his legal strategy on his reading of a similar
case, Dellums vs. Bush, from 1990. In that case, the court heard
then-Rep. Ron Dellums' (D-Calif.) case that then-President George
Bush violated the Constitution by dispatching troops to the Middle
East without Congressional approval.
"Dellums had standing and it was not a political question, but the
[Court ruled] that Dellums' case was not ripe because [Congress] had
not voted," Campbell said. "I hope to solve that with a vote."
Campbell is confident he will get that vote, but GOP leadership
insiders said he likely will not.
The GOPleadership most likely could muster the votes to block votes
on Campbell's resolution, and a senior adviser to Minority Leader
Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) predicted most Democrats would side with
DeLay on this one.
"Our position is we already voted on troops," said the Gephardt
adviser.
Based on his interpretation of Section 6 of the War Powers Act,
Campbell said leadership could move, but not avoid, the votes. The
parliamentary expert, who insisted on anonymity, disagreed.
The parliamentary expert added that if leadership failed, it could
turn to the House Rules Committee to tweak the rules to block the
votes.
Either way, Hastert and his deputies are moving ahead with their
strategy to force Clinton to direct and explain the mission in
Kosovo, while Republicans maneuver for a huge increase in defense
spending.
Hastert, in several private talks with Clinton, has pressured the
President to better explain his plan to the American people. In
addition, he asked Clinton to come before a joint session of
Congress to layout, in great detail, his vision.
Clinton did not refuse, but he brushed the suggestion aside and
appears unlikely to acquiesce, Feehery said.
On Friday, Hastert came out against sending U.S. ground troops to
the Balkans. While that's not the official position of the GOP
leadership, momentum is shifting in that direction, leadership
sources said.
But they don't want to put that in writing, or at least in the
Congressional Record as an official vote.
Instead, Hastert wants to use the emergency spending request for the
mission and other defense-related expenses as the only vehicle for
debate in the short term. The emergency request, which could grow
from an anticipated $6 billion to three times that total before the
debate ends, could be considered this week.
Setting the stage for a rancorous and time-consuming debate, Hastert
plans to put the request on the floor under an open rule.
"He wants people to have a chance to have their opinions heard,"
Feehery said.
Hastert is awaiting a briefing from the bicameral delegation that
traveled to the region to monitor the situation over the weekend.
The Senate has no plans for action in the near future, at least
until more Members visit the region.
On the House side, the delegation is being led by Appropriations
Chairman Bill Young (R-Fla.) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).
Other members on the CODEL included: Reps. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas),
Ernest Istook (R-Okla.), Mac Collins (R-Ga.), Mark Souder (R-Ind.),
Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.), Robin Hayes (R-N.C.), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.),
Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and Rod
Blagojevich (D-Ill.).
On the Senate side, Assistant Majority Leader Don Nickles (Okla.),
Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (Alaska), Sen. Pat Roberts
(Kan.) and Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.) made the trip for Republicans.

Sen. Carl Levin (Mich.), the ranking member of the Armed Services
Committee, was spearheading the Democratic mission with Sens. Max
Baucus (Mont.); Joe Biden (Del.), the ranking member on the Foreign
Relations Committee; Richard Durbin (Ill.); and Chuck Robb (Va.).
John Bresnahan and Jeff Baxter contributed to the report.

back to top

news scoops ╖ politics ╖ commentary ╖ policy briefings
roll call files ╖ classifieds

hill directory ╖ let's discuss ╖ about roll call ╖ home

Copyright ⌐ 1999 Roll Call Inc. All rights reserved.

=====================================================
==============The Uncensored National Rumor===============
=====================================================