DRUG FIGHTERS ARMED WITH A SCRIPT 'NOT A WAR OF WORDS,' SAYS PLAN FOR
TODAY'S REPUBLICAN RALLY

If you happen to stop by the west front of the U.S. Capitol this afternoon
for a Republican anti-drug rally, keep an eye out for needles. And listen
for these catch phrases:

"Not a war of words, but a war of action."

"Moms and dads, teachers and preachers working together."

"Drugs are not an American value."

That, at least, is what the script calls for. House Speaker Newt Gingrich
(R-Ga.) and his lieutenants have been building up political steam for what
they are calling a "deployment ceremony" to highlight their plans to
escalate the war on drugs. Little has been left to chance, including talking
points, media props and areas of attack.

During a meeting of House Republican press secretaries last week, aides were
given detailed instructions on how their bosses should get involved in
Gingrich's "Drug Free America Strategy." Among other things, they were
provided a one-page sheet of "communication ideas to emphasize and
incorporate," listing dozens of useful sound bites. And they were briefed on
the leadership's plans to recruit some Democrats to "buy into it" and
provide bipartisan cover.

With midterm elections on the horizon, the House GOP leadership has decided
to emphasize drug abuse, a longtime top issue for Gingrich, seeing it not
only as a key vulnerability for the Clinton administration but also a
message to rival the Democratic attack on tobacco.

Unfortunately for the Republicans, their handouts and someone's notes from
that Friday meeting fell into the hands of opportunistic Democrats, who
naturally passed them along to a reporter. The materials are hardly unique,
but they pull back the curtain on the daily machinations both parties engage
in as they maneuver for momentary political advantage.

The rally scheduled for 2 p.m. today is supposed to be part of an eight-week
campaign focusing attention on drug issues, according to the notes of the
briefing, taken by an unidentified aide to a Republican House member.

For today's event, aides were told the leadership wanted to enlist 100
Republican members and have them sign a pledge committing themselves to the
drug war. Democrats would be invited too, for "damage control," according to
the notes, apparently meaning their presence would dispel the idea of a
partisan attack. Democrats would be asked to "buy into it," the notes said.

To illustrate their theme, Republicans advised that needles and syringes
would make good media props, according to the notes, and said they were
trying to get a ticking clock for the rally, with each tick representing one
child dying of drug abuse.

How should they describe the drug problem in America? A sheet of talking
points suggested terms like "epidemic," "crisis," "scourge" and "poison."
How about their efforts to deal with it? Try words such as "mobilize,"
"deployment," "battle plan" and "conquer."

Fuller sample quotes were provided as well: "We must send a clear and
unequivocal message to parents, teachers and the peddlers of poison" was one
example, one that happened to neatly mirror a similar phrase included in the
drug chapter of a recent memo sent to Republican lawmakers by GOP pollster
Frank Luntz offering advice on the use of language in politics.

The fact that such image-making was reduced to writing left some Republican
officials chagrined.

"That kind of stuff would be better off just talked about," said the top
aide to a House Republican, who did not want to be named. "The problem with
that is you look at that and it looks so frigging callous. . . . It takes an
issue that quite frankly should be taken much more seriously than it really
is and detracts from that."

But Pete Jeffries, press secretary for Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and a
key organizer of the event, noted that such talking points are drafted all
the time in politics.

"When you're putting together an event . . . those who are participating
need to know what the event's all about so when they're in the spotlight
they can perform," Jeffries said. As for props such as needles, he said they
make a powerful visual point. "This stuff's pretty basic, it's pretty
simple," he said. "But pictures, they speak a thousand words."

Don't look for the ticking clock this afternoon, though, Jeffries said. Good
picture. Tough logistics. "Couldn't get the right clock."

© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company