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From: julie@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu (Julie Waters)

Timing Is Everything

8 Dec. 1995

Republican House Leader Dick Armey wore his usual smirk when he went on
"Nightline" last Wednesday to try to defend his pal Newt. But the Texas
Congressman quickly lost his smug expression under questioning from ABC's
Forrest Sawyer:

Forrest Sawyer: "Mr. Armey, let's have a look at what the role of the
special counsel ought to be. One congressman has written to the House
Ethics Committee saying that restrictions on the counsel would be perceived
-- and I quote -- 'as an attempt by the Ethics Committee to control the
scope and direction of the investigation' and that -- quote -- 'in order to
conduct a thorough and credible investigation, a special counsel needs
complete subpoena power.' Do you agree with that?"

Armey (smirking): "First of all, I'd like to know which one congressman
that was. It sounds like another one of David [Bonior]'s cronies. But the
fact of the matter is --"

Sawyer: "Well, actually that was Congressman Gingrich in 1988 writing to
the House Ethics Committee."

Armey (no smirk): "Well, that was a whole different case and a whole
different time..."

[Nightline, ABC, 12/6/95]
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