Newt's California Strategy

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 18) -- As Republican legislative leaders size up spending bills this year, House Speaker Newt Gingrich wants them to pay special attention to whether vote-rich California will get a share of the federal largesse.

Gingrich sent a May 29 memo, entitled "Proposed Principles for Analyzing Each Appropriations Bill," to all 13 subcommittee chairmen of the House Appropriations Committee.

Perhaps the memo's most controversial question -- "What impact will this bill have on California?" -- underscores the importance of the state this November.

California's 54 electoral votes comprise one-fifth of votes needed to clinch the presidency, and both the Clinton and Dole campaigns see it as a must-win state.

Defending his memo's California question, Gingrich told The Washington Post, "I'm very proud of the fact that the House Republicans are committed to making sure that California gets good representation .... And I think that's an entirely appropriate question to ask of every appropriations bill."

Gingrich has made four trips to California over the past year, campaigning for 21 House GOP candidates. And a few weeks ago, Gingrich helped direct government financing for a rail-highway link between Los Angeles, Long Beach and the downtown area.

Political experts say Gingrich's memo is just another sign that the political race is heating up. "Does it mean that speakers have never discussed such things with appropriators? Of course not," Congressional expert Norman J. Ornstein told the Associated Press. "But the level of chutzpah to put it in a memo is really quite intriguing."

In one way, Republicans are only trying to match what Clinton has done. As president, Clinton has devoted special attention to the Golden State, offering high-profile federal help as it emerged from recession.

The Gingrich memo also asks GOP lawmakers to anticipate possible political blockades for legislative items: "What fight(s) will Clinton want to pick over the bill?" and "How will Senate Republicans deal with the bill?"

And in keeping with the Republican credo of downsized government, the list asks, "What wasteful Washington spending does this bill eliminate?"

Gingrich told the Post the seven questions were "an effort to organize and focus our discussion of appropriations to get the bills done in a timely way, to save the American taxpayer from wasteful Washington spending and to reflect the concerns and the needs of individual members of Congress."

Newt's California Strategy

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