Furious president plots his revenge

House impeachment crew a particular target in 2000

By Richard L. Berke and James Bennet
The New York Times
Feb. 11, 1999

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton is so furious at House Republicans over his impeachment, his advisers say, that he has vowed to mount an all-out offensive to knock off many of his foes and win back the House for Democrats in 2000.

Clinton has already committed to early fund-raising events in nine cities -- the first will be in San Francisco in two weeks -- to amass a war chest to help House Democrats. His advisers, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, described how the president regularly rattled off specifics about House Republicans who may be vulnerable, from the margins they won by in 1998 to how well he performed in their districts in 1996.

They said Clinton now views winning back the House as almost as important an affirmation of his legacy as electing Vice President Al Gore as his successor.

But if Clinton's partisan zeal is viewed by Republicans as a personal vendetta, it could undermine another goal that the president considers crucial to his legacy: his legislative priorities, notably a drive to rescue Social Security. Clinton has assured Democrats that they can work with Republicans to pass legislation and still have plenty of ammunition in 2000.

Clinton was particularly angry at the House members managing the prosecution, according to his advisers, believing they have needlessly prolonged the impeachment trial. Most of those managers have seats that are considered safe.

"He knows the districts, he knows the candidates and he doesn't like these people," said one adviser who has discussed next year's elections with Clinton. "He's obviously real hot on the managers. He thinks winning back the House is part of his legacy."

White House officials said they are aware that there is only so much a president can do to help congressional contenders. They said he could be most effective in raising money and in recruiting candidates. But Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, despite high personal popularity, both failed in their efforts to purge specific congressional candidates.

New interest

Clinton's intense interest in the congressional contests is all the more striking because leading House Democrats have long complained that he has not been particularly engaged in House and Senate races. Many blame Clinton for the Democrats' losing control of the House in 1994 and for not winning it back in 1996 or 1998.

Another adviser who has spoken to the president about wresting back the House in 2000, said, "It will be a personal crusade." He added: "The man knows he's done wrong. But he also knows they should not have taken it to the extreme they have. He says: 'It's the unfairness of this whole process. These right-wingers who tried to undo the election.' "

Beyond his scorn at House Republicans, several advisers said Clinton is motivated out of gratitude to Rep. Dick Gephardt, the Democratic leader, for deciding not to challenge Gore for the Democratic presidential nomination. He also is described as indebted to House Democrats for sticking by him and ensuring that impeachment could not be called bipartisan.

Besides the House managers, Clinton told Gephardt he was determined to defeat Rep. Jay Dickey, an Arkansas Republican, according to people familiar with the conversations. Dickey was elected in 1992; his district includes the president's boyhood homes of Hope and Hot Springs.

'Sobering'

Told of Clinton's comments, Dickey said: "If you're sitting there and having the most powerful office in the world, the most powerful man in the world who says, 'We're going to defeat this person,' it's a sobering thing. But I'm not afraid."

"If he's going to personalize this thing, then it's going to take us back a step in terms of cooperation," Dickey said, "and trying to get some programs through in the next two years."

It is clear that impeachment and the Democrats' encouraging gains in last November's elections have unexpectedly united the White House and House Democrats.

The impeachment also has emboldened other Democrats who say they are eager to unseat House Republicans.

"After these years of Ken Starr, people are more energized than I've seen them since the '60s and '70s," said David Geffen, the entertainment mogul and major Clinton supporter. Referring to Rep. James Rogan, a California Republican who is considered one of the most vulnerable House managers in 2000, he added, "Many of us are looking forward to spending time and money and effort to defeating James Rogan."

And People for the American Way, a liberal group, announced a $5 million television, organizational and grass-roots campaign Wednesday aimed at ousting Republicans in Congress.

"Impeachment was the catalyst that shocked and angered voters," said the group's president, Carol Shields.