This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas. http://dolearchives.ku.edu

abrasive---even for a White House with a Indeed, thepairingofDoleand Majority "take no prisoners" approach to politics­ Whip Alan Simpson ofWyoming gives the and was dumped two years later (thus Capitol the funniest ICljdership team in sparing him the tarnish of Watergate). Senate history. Says Simj)son of wealthy In 1976, Dole was a surprise choice as Americans: "The rich in our soci~ty are ·Gerald Ford's running mate, and his stri­ indeed different. Among the Republicans and in the country,'' said Danforth, • dcnt'perl'ormancc was bfamed many for in Beverly Hills. the IRS is known as a his The al.so-rans had been dispatched in by successc:ir as For the first time. the Reagan ad.mipis­ the. ticket's narrow defeat. The hatchet­ terrorist organization ... Cracked Dole at a the'· Finance ·. eomitltttee, three quick ballots, and the battle to suc­ ceed retiring Sen. Howard Baker as Senate tration will have to contend with a Senate Dole, who told one inter­ Gridiron Club dinner be attended with his (R-Cim.), are PackWood majority leader was down to two-Bob in which GOP moderates hold the balance his suppOsed meanspir­ wife: "I'm happy to be here with the coun­ coot to· the · . ~ ·of expending .vast Dole of Kansas and Ted Stevens of Alaska. of power. With House troubles already reputation he seemed to try's second most•powerful coupi.,_Ron arnaurita of political capital on a tax plan On the third ballot, each had received 20 anticipated from the party's right-wing and Nancy Reagari." Asked about the lim­ that' i:tcies not raise ne-N 1'8'18nues. With votes, 7 more than Indiana Sen. Richard Young Turks, the potential for political ~i~r ~~~;~~;r.76 .~Ek~e~Some ~ew ousine he g~ t s 8s majority leader, he joked: rncxieratas 0o1e w:Packwood 1n liey Lugar. Lugar's 13 supporters thus became cross fire is ominous. Though the · ~1 think I promised two or three 1ead8f.shlp' po&itions, ..Seria~ M ~epubu­ key to deciding who might become the new majority leader quickly called I'd pick 'em up every day. cans·are much more likely· to concen­ second most powerful Republican in the president and pledged, "Boss, was my margin of victory." It was Reagan's election that trate on deficit reduction than on tax Washington. I'm ready to go to work,'' he bad told reporters that he looked for: finally gave Dole the chance to reform next year (page 34). As the 53 GOP senators hunched over ward to supporting Reagan's pro­ show that his wit was matched by Dole camf)eignild lor Majority Leader their mahogany desks to mark color-coded ballots, Dole was pessimistic. His own gram uwhen we can." Still, legislative skill. Though the 97th by promising elevate the deficit prob­ to count indicated that many of Lugar's senior White House aides were de­ Congress will be recalled as Ron­ lem to center stage, ,even at the cost of backers favored Majority Whip Stevens. lighted with the choice of Dole-­ ald Reagan's heyday. it was an pccaslomii!Y . tilting, !!I!!J!;~st · fLl!_~i~nt He was nervously awaiting the official tal­ some because of his mainstream unabashed triumph for Dole as Reagan: He edged out Alaska Senator ly when one sympathetic vote counter bent, others because of his prov­ Shepherding first the Reagan Tad Stevens, who ran as a Reagan loy­ spared him further suspense and signaled en loyalty despite it. "Every tax cut, then the following year's alist. Indiana's Ricllard G. Lugar, anoth­ thumbs up. Dole later emerged from the time in four years when the presi· tax increase through the Senate, er top contender who promised to work Old Senate Chamber-a 28-25 victor­ dent raised the standard, Bob was Dole proved to be theconsummate " said White House chief o~ legislative technician. His for in tandem the Wh~e HouSe, fin- with a thumbs-up smile for all the report· . . fi. crs, camera crews and-Hillstaffers throng- · Reagan strategists are confident nance; was the Presidential ambitions, which critics ing the corridor. Asked what the victory meant to his 1988 presidential ambitions, Dole will be a vital ally in the war ileal to pry the Voting Rights Act hoped would·· work against him, were Dole quipped: "I'm not worried about '88. over taxes and spending. extension out of committee. not viewed as a problem.- I'm worried about lunch." Gadfly: Whatever obstacles the Dofidb: Dole hopes the majori­ What Senate Republicans seemed to But Dole's priorities were hardly so new majority leader presents ty leader's post will be his step­ be ·signaling with the selection of the shortsighted. He quickly inserted him­ to Reagan administration tax pingstonc to the GOP presidential acetblc, outspoken Dole was a willing­ self into the building battle over taxes schemes may pale next to those nomination in 1988. Ironically, n9SS to tolerate some tutbulence In re­ and spending-giving Treasury Secretary posed by Packwood. The Oregoni­ Howard Baker, who also hopes to lations ~h the Administration as the Donald Regan's supposedly revenue-neu­ an lost no time expressing his be president, became convinced price for action on the deficit With 22 tral tax-reform plan a cool reception ("I skepticism about major tax-re­ during his losing bid four years ago that it was impossible to run for GOP Senators lacing reelection in 1986, want to give Treasury credit for doing a lot form legislation in 1985, raising . of work .. . certainly they get an A for serious questions about the Treas­ president while serving as majori­ compared with 12 Democrats, Senate ury Department'.$ semi-ftat-tax ty leader. "That's Baker's analy­ Republicans see the unchecked deficit effort") and committing himself above all to reducing the deficit. plan. Packwood has strong gadfty . . _.- . sis,:' said Dole. "He's gonna try it as a major threat to their control of the 'Our Apada': The majority leader's mo­ tendencies and a willingness, often outspo- ... others credit the influence of his second the other way." The more immediate prob­ upper house. tive is in large part defensive and his princi­ ken, to buck the president on major issues. wife, Transportation Secretary Elizabeth · .. lem facing Dole is whether he can find some DOU AIID PACKWOOD are both pre­ pal political worry is 1986, when 22 Senate One dismayed senior Reagan aide said Hanford Dole, whom he married in 1975. common ground with the White House pared to raise taxes as part of a deal Republicans-including Dole himself­ Packwood's elevation was"disastrous" for In either case, Dole returned to the Senate from which to attack deficits. 'The White that would require congressional Demo­ will be up for re-election. "We' re going to administration tax plans. Added another: a transformed man. His wit still remains House has to decide whether to work with crats to cut spending for social pro­ retain the Republican majority in '86," he "He's the kind of guy who will walk across one of Washington's sharpest, but its edge the majority in the Senate or the minority grams. "The President has ruled tax in­ said. "That's our agenda." What was re­ the street to get into a fight." has softened and its target is most often within the minority in the House." suid one top Republican leadership aide, "and I creases off the table," says .a White markable-in the wake of the Ronald Rea­ Dole's early days in the Senate had Dole himself. earned him a similar reputation, think the conservatives and the House official. "We are not in synch on 1 gan landslide that many interpret as a rightward shift in the nation-was that and his ascension to the Senate top Young Turks in the House are this Issue." Senate Republicans took aim on 1986 with spot is the culmination of an ex­ 'going to be the big losers."lfDole More ominous for the Administration, a giant step toward the center. Not only did traordinary turnabout. The brash, helps usher in an era of declining Packwood has shown a great fondness Dole win (the conservatives' choice, Idaho mouthy freshman who arrived in deficits, he could be the big winner. for many of the specialized tax credits Sen. James McClure, was the first contend­ 1969 delighted the Nixon White But if he and the Reagan adminis­ and deductions that would be swept er eliminated), but moderate John 'chafee House, providing unequivocal tration fail, Dole may not have to away In the Treasury Dept.'s tax plan. of Rhode Island nipped Utah conservative support for its every move-from worry in 1988 about the difficul­ Jake Garn for the party's No. 3 leader­ Vietnam policies to controversial ties of running for president as ship post and John Heinz of Pennsylvania Supreme Court nominations. In majority leader: if an uncontrolled took control of the Senate campaign com­ 1971, Dole was rewarded for his deficit turns the economy sour. the mittee. In the resulting shuffles, Bob Pack­ loyalty with the party's national GOP could lose control of the Sen­ wood of Oregon and John Danforth of chairmanship. But he proved too ate, and Dole might find himself Missouri became chairmen of powerful fi. •Lugar will be\.-omc: boss or the Foreign minority leader after 1986. nance and commerce committees. "What Rd1tions Comminee, conservative darlins Jose HdmsofNorth Caru lin~ having decid~ MARK STARR with GLORIA BORGER. is represented here is a mainstream of that he could nm brc:a.k his campaign promise THOMAS M. DeFRAN K and the Republican Party, both in the Senate to rcm~in the heu d oft he ugricullure pnnd. ELEA NOR CLIFT m Wash1ngtun

NEWSWEEK/ DECEMBER 10. 1984 NEWSWEEK/DECEMBER 10, 1984 .\1 Nation

which has grown increasingly unruly in re­ ta x- reform pl an when and if it is sent to cent years. Within hours of his election, Capitol I-I ill. "I sort of like the tax code ·I A Declaration of Independence Dole served notice that he intended to get the way it is :· Packwood told the Wash­ tough on Capitol Hill. "I do believe we ingwn Pm;t\ast week . G.O.P. Senators pick Dole to stand up to the White House spend a lot of time doing very lit tie. and that may be an understatement,'' he said. "Ifwe ichard Lugar will bc~.:ume chairman he setting was historically apt. Until Dole had something else going for really want the discipline, I'm willing to R of the Foreign Relations Committee. T the Civil War, the ornate and intimate him: backbone. After President Rea­ help provide it." Thehext day, Republican ending weeks of speculation that North Old Senate Chamber. its dark wooden gan's landslide re-election, there was Dan Quayle oflndiana. head of a special Carolina's righ1-wing Se nator Jesse desks arranged in semicircles, rang with concern that the White House would try bipartisan committee studying Senate pro­ Helms. the most se nior member of the the spirited oratory of Daniel Webster. to steamroller the Senate into meekly cedures, met with.Dole and recommended panel. would exercise his option to head Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Last supporting Administration policies. The changes that would limitalegislator'scom­ it. The post opened up when Illinois' week, when the Senate's 53 Republicans 22 Republican Senators up for re-elec­ mitiee assignmentS and cut down on the Charles Pe rcy. a moderate. lost his re ­ gathered in the museum-like room to elect tion in 1986 were worried that Reagan parliamentary loopholes that allow a lone election bid Nov. 6. Some conserva tives their leader for the next two years. the fo­ might force them into votes that could dissenter to bring the chamber to a stand­ had been pressuring Helms to take the rensics were apparently no less rousing. darn~ their chances. In- Dole the Scna- still. Such internal reforms, however, could Foreign Relations post. especially if Lu­ Kansan Robert Dole claimed to be more difficult to pass than a tax- g~lr won the majority leader election and thoroughly persuaded by the speech left Maryland's Charles McC. Mathias. a his nominator, John Danforth of , a tall, lean man with a liberal. in line for the job. Last week Missouri. made on his behalf. "It spent eight years in the Helms quietly urged his backers to vote was so impressive," Dole quipped, winning a Senate seat against Lugar in the majority leader race "that I ended up voting for myself." He has a reputation as an so that the Indianan could take over the After an hour and a half of se­ legislotti>•e craftsman and a Foreign Relations post while Helms cret balloting, a narrow m~ority of ~~~:~~~~i~~t~ His biting wit is stayed on as chairman of the Agriculture his colleagues followed suit. On the ;1. the vituperative re- Committee. where he can watch over founh ballot, Dole defeated Alas­ I DI8ID.~"-'"'~n!" him the "hatchet price suppt.xts for North Ca rolina tObac..:o ka's Ted Stevens, his nearest rival, as Gerald Ford's 1976' farmers. by a vote of 28 to 25. His prize: tbe arc rare now. More Alan Simpson of Wyoming. a popular powerful post of majority leader, the comment he made last and witty co nservative. easily won elec­ held since 1981 by week when·his wife presented him ti on as majority whip. But two Northeast­ Howard Baker, who is retiring with a congratulatory schnauzer ern moderates. Rhude lsland·s John Cha­ the Senate to prepare for a presiden­ named Leader. Deadpanned Dole: fec and Pennsy\vania·s John Heinl. . nosed tial bid in I 988. "It's an indication of where my out We stern Conserva tives Jake Garn of Dole. a self-described moderate ' !e~ade:rsl~p is going. House-broken Utah and Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming conservative, emerged victorious but not Senate-broken." for the chairmanships of the Republican from a field of five contenders. Ida­ For the pas! four years. Dole Conference of the Senate and the Nation­ ho Conservative James McClure been chairman of the Senate Fi­ al Republican Senatorial Committee. was eliminated on the first ballot. nance Committee, where he pushed which serve as the parry caucus and (The election rules required that the through a major revision of the So­ fund-raising arm. respectivel y. Both men candidate receiving the fewest votes cial Security system and three tax are notabl y less conserva­ on each ballot be dropped from the bills. In 1982 he held weary com­ tive: than McClure and ne.t round. I Pete Domenici of New mittee members in an all-night 1 Lugar. whom they re- 1 Mexico was knocked off on the sec, meeting to grapple with a specific place. ··The White House ond ballot. and Richard Lugar of provision of a $100 billion tax-hike is not going to like ic ·· Indiana on the third. bill. He then persuaded a coalition · one moderate Repub­ That left Stevens. who as major~ of Republicans and Democrats to lican Sen a tor. ity whip was Baker's assistant dur-. pass the bill over the protests of In fact. While House ing Reagan's firsllerm. in a face-off practically every special interest aides ·... icwed Dole 's vic­ in Washington. with Dole. In Stevens' corner was tory philosophically. feel ­ Barry Goldwater or Arizona. who in ~~~~~~~~~;!~~~~~~~~~~~A Dole is conservative in his vot­ ing that his legislative an effective. if quirky. nomination ing record, but he has made barbed acumen and credibility on speech compared the Senate to the Wash­ tors knew they had a stand-up guy. Said attacks on supply-side economics and Hill will be an ington Redskins football team and cast Danforth in his nominating speech: "He staunchly defends such traditionally lib-. plus for the Ad­ Stevens as a man who had valuable expe­ can work with the Administration-not eral measures as the food stamp program . 'The only rience playing "back-up quanerback." cave in to the Administration." and the Voting Rights Act. His eclectic mark:· said one But the elder statesman's plug was not Dole has strong personal ties to the stands have made him a target of the so­ senior aide. ·· ts whether he enough. Stevens. known for his combusti­ Administration through his wife Eliza­ called young 1\lrks, a highly voeal group is going to run for Presi­ ble temper. lost by three votes, and in a beth. who is Transportation Secretary, of right-wing Republicans in the House. dent." If Dole. who has display of characteristic crotchetiness. im­ and a record of suppon for Reagan·s Charges Newt Gingrich of Georgia. a unveiled ambitions for the mediately threatened to renew his chal­ policies. But he has not shied away from member of the group: "Dote is the tax col­ White House. docs make a lenge to Dole in two years. strong criticism. particularly on tax and lector for the welfare state." Responds bid in 1988. his indepen­ The ITU\iority leader is one of the moot budget matters. Last week Dole said he Dole: "If you arc in the minority, you can dence could become more influential figures in Washington. On Capi­ would put a higher priority on deficit re­ put out a lot of newsletters and say, 'I'm pronounced. making the tol Hill. he sets the Senate'sagenda and de­ duction than on tax reform. He also shot for lower taxes.' We have a little different going rougher for Reagan cides what bills come to the floor. Although down the Adminislration's plans for deep view in the Senate because we're in the in the final year of his term. Dole has often joked that "majority plead­ domestic-spending cuts. promoting in­ majority. We have to be totally responsi­ For now. however. Dole says his first er" would be a more appropriate title. stead a freeze on the federal budget. As ble from time to time." political priority is to retain theG.O.P. ma­ many Scnalors chose him precisely for his for the rest of Reagan's second-tenn pro­ Dole's selection as majority leader jority in the Senate in 1986. And that means ab1lll)' to forge ~ompmnusc:s out of sec:m­ gram. he pru nuSt:J unly lo · ·s upP~o- > rl ll had a domino cffecl on key committee I kt:t:plllg lhc\.·\JUilll) happ) <.IIlli p! US ~I"UU:, . mgly hopeless deadlocks. Satd Senator where we ..:an.·· chairmanships. Orcgon·s Bob Ptt.~,;kwood . ·· \Vc: rcgv111g lo bt: 1uugh tuJcfcat.·· he sa y~. Slade Gorton of Washington: "We picked Dole's election was also evidence tha t a frequent Reagan critic, will succeed ··if we keep the deficit down and theecono­ the individual with the most experience in the Republicans want a leader who can Dole as head of the Finance Committee, m y rolling... - By .SUSM'J Tifft. Reponed by 1 managing bills 011 the floor.·· bring a firm hand to the upper chamber. wielding power over the Administration's Nel/ltfacNeii/ Washlngt.oo

26 TIME, DECEMBER 10. 1984 TIM E . D ECEMBE R 10. 1984