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Keeping GOP moderates in line Incoming? The Problem is Outgoing!By Rick Horowitz
WASHINGTON, Sooner Than You Think -- Recrimination has given way to recalibration as the White House continues to cope with the impact of Sen. James Jeffords' surprise defection from the Republican Party. Faced with a sudden upheaval in the political landscape, Bush administration officials have largely stopped talking about "Where did we go wrong?" to focus on a different question: "Where do we go now?" And after days of appearing alternately dismissive and defensive about the Jeffords bombshell, senior members of the Bush team insist that they've turned a corner, and have learned their lessons. "We're not thrilled about what's happening up there, obviously," said White House chief of staff Andrew Card, referring to the imminent Democratic takeover of the Senate. "But it's part of life, and we're ready to move ahead with the president's agenda." The president himself, Mr. Card insisted, remained upbeat about his prospects on Capitol Hill, even with one house of Congress soon to be in "enemy" hands. "Having more votes than the other side doesn't always mean you'll win," Mr. Card quoted Mr. Bush as saying. "Just look at Al Gore." Other administration officials, meanwhile, have begun outlining an ambitious new plan designed to prevent any further GOP defections by keeping better track of congressional mood swings. "This Jeffords thing never got onto our radar screen until it was too late," said one senior official, speaking anonymously. "That's not going to happen again, not once we've got our ABM up and running." The official was referring to a new "anti-bolting moderate" tracking system designed to instantly identify, and respond to, centrist Republicans who show signs of jumping ship. "We spend so much time worrying about incoming missiles from rogue nations," the official explained. "Well, our national security also depends on shooting down a few of these rogue senators." The official emphasized that he was talking "figuratively." Still being tweaked by Defense Department engineers, the new system is not likely to be deployed until September at the earliest, leaving the administration vulnerable to additional defections over the next several months. To prevent crucial information gaps during that period, the White House is considering asking all Republican senators to wear electronic ankle bracelets. "It's just another way of reaching out to our friends," insisted White House senior adviser Karl Rove. "If we know where they're going, we can be there to help them." Mr. Rove conceded that some might chafe at the "Big Brother" implications of the bracelets. But on balance, he claimed, senators would decide that the benefits far outweighed the costs. "We hope they'll think of it as solidarity, not surveillance." However, should neither large- nor small-scale electronics prove to be the answer, administration officials say they're prepared to use an entirely different approach: the personal touch. In a recent strategy session with senior staff, they report, President Bush agreed to designate June as "Take a Moderate to Lunch Month." "It's something he's wanted to do since he got here," said Andrew Card. "With one thing and another, we just weren't able to get it on his calendar, but I know he's really looking forward to it." Some GOP moderates have complained that previous encounters with Mr. Bush have been long on pleasantries, but short on substance. This time, the president's advisers vow, things will be different. And as for actually making time for these people on Mr. Bush's schedule, Mr. Card says he expects no difficulty. "There are fewer of them than there used to be." Posted 5/29/01. Make
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Rick Horowitz
