CAMPAIGN'92
100%
Thursday, October 15, 1992
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
13
Search reveals no dirt on Clinton
State Department says files checked at press's request
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — An assistant secretary of state directed a search this month of U.S. Embassy files in Britain and Norway for information on Bill Clinton's years at Oxford University, the Bush administration said yesterday.
Sen. Al Gore, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said it was very disturbing, even outrageous, for George Bush to use the State Department to rummage through the personal files of an U.S. citizen for political purposes.
But the State Department said that
the files were checked legitimately at the request of news organizations, and Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Tampesi merely was trying to make sure the effort was conducted properly after indications that Clinton's passport file had been tampered with.
The FBI has since reported that it had found no evidence of tampering, and State Department representative Richard Boucher yesterday said that the searches in London and Oslo, Sweden turned up nothing.
Defending the actions taken by Tamposi, a former Republican congressional candidate and party finance chairperson in New Hampshire, Boucher said no one discussed the situation with the White House or Bush campaign officials.
"I absolutely feel there is no imp
propriate behavior," he said.
The Democrats disagreed.
Gore said, "This goes way beyond a freedom of information request. The White House is politically using the State Department in a blatant attempt to politicize the entire bureaucracy in a failed effort to try to discredit Bill Clinton."
And in Washington, Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey asked why the State Department was in such a rush to check Clinton's files after there had been requests from news organizations under the Freedom of Information Act and why Clinton was not informed that such private files were
being searched.
"I put this in the category of potentially very serious abuses," Bradley said.
Clinton, in Williamsburg, Va., held up a copy of The Washington Post and pointed to its story on the searches. But he declined to talk, pointing to his sore throat and saying, "Later."
The documents sought admittedly were very unlikely to be released, Boucher said. "But it has been our practice for at least a year, and our policy, to pull the files, to look at the files and to make that determination."
In London, representative Jerry Joria said the embassy was contacted by the State Department in response to a freedom of information request.
He said the files were searched but nothing turned up because they did not keep that type of passport file for more than five years.
Bush is finished analysts predict
GOP leaders say comeback unlikely
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Halfway through the debates and three weeks from Election Day, many political analysts — including some Republicans — think the presidential race is essentially over and Bill Clinton has won.
GOP leaders across the country say it will take a bolt of lightning for President Bush to win and suggest his only shot may be to follow Vice President Dan Quagyle's lead and be more combative.
"America has decided." It's Clinton, "said Henry Graff, presidential historian at Columbia University. He cites trends in Gallup Polls going back to 1936 to bolster this assertion.
GOP advisers seemed hard pressed to suggest what Bush could do to turn things around short of a miracle or a major stum
ble by Clinton.
He noted that Ronald Reagan in 1980 was down 4 points in mid-October and 8 points in late October and came back to win. No one h` come back from more than an 8-point deficit in the poll's history, Newport said.
The most recent Gallup poll shows Clinton at 48 percent, Bush at 38 percent and Perot at 12 percent — or a 15-point gap for Bush.
In the famous 1948 election that Bush likes to cite as his own model of a come-from-behind victory, Harry Truman was just 5 points down in mid-October, Newport said.
"Is it possible for Bush to stage a comeback? It's not out of the question that the gap could be closed, but it would be a new record," Newport said.
Clinton's doctors say candidate is fit
The Associated Press
Four doctors who have treated Clinton recently released letters yesterday in which they gave details of medical examinations conducted in 1991, along with updated tests from this year.
WASHINGTON — Bill Clinton's doctors say he is in excellent health and winning his battles against high cholesterol and chronic congestion. His worst health problems, they say, are bouts of heartburn and a hoarseness from overuse of his voice.
The tests indicate that Clinton is generally healthy, appears to be following doctors' orders on diet and exercise, and is showing signs of controlling a chronic, but mild, allergy condition.
In a general medical examination in August and September, 1991, Susan Santa Cruz, physician and a Little Rock internist and Andrew Kumpuris, a heart doctor in Little Rock, report they found little of concern.
"His physical examination was totally unremarkable," Kumpuris said in his letter.
santa Cruz said that the 1991 examination showed that Clinton had gained about 20 pounds — to 226 — and had what she called a "mild elevation of the total serum cholesterol." She said the cholesterol measurement was 227, about 27 points above what was considered the upper limit of ideal.
However, in a blood test taken Oct.
5, Clinton's cholesterol count had dropped to 184, according to Kumpuris. Clintoniaide Betsey Wright said the Arkansas governor now weighed 215 pounds.
The Bush campaign called on Clinton to make available more detailed records, saying all other presidential candidates in recent years have done so.
"Releasing selected documents as Gov. Clinton has done today about such an important issue raises as many questions as it answers," said Alixie Glen, Clinton representative.
Earl Steinberg, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, said that at age 46 and being 6 feet 2 inches tall, Clinton was mildly overweight.
STUDENT YEARBOOK PORTRAITS
SEPTEMBER 8 THROUGH OCTOBER 16
Monday, Wednesday-Friday:
9 a.m. - Noon & 1-5 p.m.
Tuesday: 1-5 p.m. & 6-9 p.m.
(These times are for all locations.)
The campus photographer will be set up everyday in the rotunda of Strong Hall. Another photographer will be set up specially for Scholarship Halls, Residence Halls, fraternities and sororities.
Get your photo taken and be included in the yearbook!!!
SITTING FEES:
SENIORS $4.00 &
UNDERCLASSMEN $2.00
If you purchase a yearbook you won't have to pay the sitting fee.
If you have any questions please call the Jayhawker office at 864-3728.
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