PERSONALLY
SPEAKING

The Lugar challenge to Helms the bully

By George Stuteville

Washington : The media missed the real fight implicit in the tussle
between Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar and Sen. Jesse Helms, chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Plenty has been written and
broadcast alleging that Lugar, chairman of the Senate Agriculture,
Forestry and Nutrition Committee, would use next monthís hearings on
the $368 billion tobacco settlement deal as a way to smite his
Republican colleague. The suggestion was that Lugar would take such
action because he is smoldering over Helmsí refusal to allow a
nomination hearing in his committee for former Massachusetts Gov.
William Weld to become U.S. ambassador to Mexico. What will not
happen is Lugar sinking to Helmsí level. Lugarís hearings, planned
for about six weeks, will include testimony from many sides of the
tobacco industry ; pro and con. Reporters played it wrong when Lugar
opined that if he did things the Helms way, he would punish the North
Carolina senator where it hurt most ; right in the fields of tobacco
interests. In the usvs.them mentality of Washingtonís press corps,
Lugar's comments were reduced to a simple titfortat fight. By such
superficial standards, Lugar will lose. First, Lugar would never
wield power in his own committee in such a personal way. Anyone who
knows Lugar knows that his commitment to health means that he detests
the tobacco industry and the monstrous waste of federal money that
has gone to it over the years in what amounts to a subsidy of cancer,
lung, heart disease and who knows what else. Because Lugar will not
personalize his committee, Helms would not have to pay a political
price. So Helms wins. Second, Lugar will lose because Helms doesnít
give a darn about whether he has hearings or not. He wonít be swayed
by the pressure of public opinion. This year alone, he has blocked 18
ambassadorial and State Department nominations. Helms also
unnecessarily slowed the Senate's ratification of the Chemical
Weapons Convention for months because of his objections to how the
State Department is administered. The treaty was passed, because of
Lugar persuasion over Helms ; just days before the treaty went into
effect. Bottom line is Helms just doesn't care. So that brings us to
the real fight. The big one. And in this, Lugar will win. With his
assertive criticism of Helms' dictatorial style, Lugar has put into
play the larger question of democratic process in a legislative body.
In other words, Lugar has challenged the bully. So don't be a bit
surprised when the Senate returns next month to find Lugar leading or
taking an active role in a bipartisan push for a rarely used
parliamentary tactic called a discharge motion. That will take the
Weld issue away from the committee and place it in front of the whole
Senate. At this level, Helms will lose because, like all bullies who
are challenged, their hold on power withers and reveals itself as an
ugly meanness. Other senators will be emboldened to associate
themselves with Lugar's call for a higher standard of democracy and
collegial respect. They will vote to discharge because Lugar enjoys a
wide respect among Senate Republicans and Democrats that Helms can
never claim. Besides, Lugar is right and Helms is wrong. Once in a
while, principle can transcend partisanship. It would be best if
Helms would simply sneak away from his chairmanship of the committee
and devote himself to servicing the narrowminded interests that keep
getting him elected. But that's wishful thinking. A guy like Helms
craves the validation that comes from such a powerful position
because he is lacking elsewhere. After all, Helms snatched the job
from Lugar in 1986 only because of his seniority over the Indiana
senator. Yet, Lugar's reputation as the GOP's mostqualified expert
in foreign policy has only increased in the years he has had to
endure in Helms' thick dark shadow on the committee.

Stuteville is Washington bureau reporter for _The Star_ and _The News_.