Republicans zero in on foreign contributions

Republicans zero in on foreign contributions

WASHINGTON (Reuter): Republicans zeroed in on foreign campaign contributions to President Bill Clinton on Sunday, with Sen. John McCain calling for a special prosecutor and an independent counsel to investigate the matter.

McCain (R-Ariz.) told CBS-TV's "Face the Nation" program that a $425,000 contribution by an Indonesian couple to the Clinton campaign raised questions on whether this influenced Clinton's policies towards President Soeharto government.

He pointed out that Clinton once called alleged human rights abuses by the Indonesian government "unconscionable." But now he said, "Our foreign policy towards Indonesia has changed as far as human rights abuses are concerned."

"When you're getting millions of dollars from citizens of one country especially from the ruling clique, one of which has three private meetings with the president of the United States, this raises serious problems," McCain said.

Republicans said Clinton merely smiled away what they regarded as a major issue of potential corruption.

"It's a pretty sorry situation," said Republican Bob Dole's campaign manager, Donald Rumsfeld.

"How can a man smile when there is a $425,000 contribution from a gardener's wife?," he asked on NBC Television's "Meet the Press" program. He was referring to how Clinton ignored Dole when he raised the issue during the candidates' second debate last week.

In Jakarta, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday that his government was not involved in any of the Lippo funds given to the U.S. Democratic Party, Reuters reported.

"This is an attack, this is a campaign against Indonesia that is totally unsubstantiated," Alatas told reporters. "Indonesia is not involved, has never been involved. We will not get involved in that kind of thing."

James Riady, deputy chairman of Indonesia's Lippo group, has been caught up in the U.S. election campaign through his friendship with President Bill Clinton. The two met when Riady was a resident of Arkansas and Clinton was state governor.

"This is a private affair of Mr James Riady and the Democratic National Committee," Alatas said. "Is it good or bad...we don't know. I am not making a value judgment."

"There are reports saying it is the Indonesia connection and not the Riady connection. I reject that. The government of Indonesia has nothing to do with it," Alatas said.

White House chief of staff Leon Panetta dismissed the Republican attack as hypocrisy and as a negative tactic that is not working to help Dole.

"What he is doing is a negative attack on the president and it is not working," Panetta said on the same program. "There is hypocrisy here," he added, claiming the Republicans also accepted campaign contributions from foreign backers.

Republican vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp said on the "Fox News Sunday" program that Clinton had a character problem that Americans should pay attention to when voting Nov. 5.

"Dole is clearly superior and can be trusted ... Bill Clinton has made so many promises to so many people it is impossible for him to follow through on all his promises," Kemp said.

"Who knows what promises he has made to the Indonesian influence peddlers ... he has still to tell us, and we have a right to know the truth about this and whether or not he is telling us the truth about that campaign contribution," Kemp said.

Republicans called on the Democrats to return $425,000 in contributions from an Indonesian couple, Arief and Soraya Wiriadinata, with ties to Indonesia's Lippo Group conglomerate, as well as $140,000 raised at a Buddhist temple in California.

Arief Wiriadinata worked as a landscaper in Virginia.

Overconfidence -- Page 12