Mike Levin: “there is only one reason the Senate is being asked by the majority leader's resolution to intervene in the independent…”

“there is only one reason the Senate is being asked by the majority leader's resolution to intervene in the independent counsel process which is being considered by the Attorney General. The reason is partisan politics, pure and simple. It is regrettable for many reasons, particularly following last week's determination by the full Senate to support a broad and fair and evenhanded investigation by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee into campaign finance practices in the 1996 election--Presidential and congressional, House and Senate, Republican and Democratic. In doing that last week, we recognized as a body that abuses in campaign fundraising are not in the exclusive domain of either political party, or either end of Pennsylvania Avenue. We confirm the view, as stated in the Governmental Affairs Committee report, in support of funding a broad scope investigation that: The committee intends to investigate allegations of improper activities by all, Republicans, Democrats, or other political partisans. It will investigate specific activities, not the political party against which the allegations are made. But now, in a partisan attempt to reestablish the focus of the press and the public on just the Democratic National Committee and just the Clinton-Gore campaign, the majority leadership brings this resolution to the floor. The very wording of the resolution reveals its partisan objective.”