Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Nation & World Hastert appoints Catholic chaplain by David Espo Associated Press Washington—Speaker Dennis Hasten today named a Catholic priest, the Rev. Daniel Coughlin, as the new House chap lain, and accused Democrats of playing an “unseemly political game” by alleg ing religious bias in a four-month con troversy over the post. Coughlin, the vicar for priests.in the Chicago archdiocese, thus became the first Catholic to hold the post of min istering to House members and their fam ilies. He called the appointment “terri bly unexpected.” Hasten acted after the Rev. Charles D. Wight, a Presbyterian, withdrew from consideration for the post four months after he was picked, and a priest, the Rev. Tim O’Brien, was passed over. The choice sparked allegations by some Democrats — vigorously denied as quickly as they were leveled — that Republicans were biased against Roman Catholics. Wight, his nomination in limbo for months, offered to resign earlier in the week in an unannounced meeting with Hasten in the Capitol. Hasten announced Coughlin’s ap pointment in a somber speech on the House floor, where he retraced the controversy, and responded to his critics. “I am a patient man,” said the Illi nois Republican, who had pledged on his first day as speaker to lower the level of acrimony in the House. “But even I did not easily take in stride carelessly tossed accusations of bigotry. “Where I come from such slander is an ugly business,” he said. Those making the charges, he said, “don’t know me or are maliciously seeking political ad vantage by making these accusations.” “I have never said and I never be lieved that there was a bias involved in the making of this selection,” House De mocratic Leader Dick Gephardt said mo ments later in remarks of his own on the House floor. The Republican side of the House was filled, the Democratic side about half filled, as Hastert spoke. Lawmakers in both parties applauded the speaker’s re marks. Coughlin stood just outside the cham ber as his appointment was announced. A few moments later, he entered the House and was sworn in by Hasteft. The new chaplain has extensive experi ence in pastoral counseling, the speaker said. Wight could not be reached imme diately for comment. But several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wright and Hastert held a private and undisclosed meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday. They said the minister decided on his own to offer his withdrawal, with out any pressure from the speaker. Wrigfrt’s nomination emeiged last fall from a bipartisan committee of lawmak ers, but Hastert has the authority to name a chaplain on his own authority. Republicans have been battered for months by charges of anti-Catholic bias, first made by O’Brien, a losing can didate. “I am convinced that if I were a main line Protestant minister and not a Catholic priest, I would be the candidate,” he said in an interview in December, and some Democrats also alleged bias. Democrats said O’Brien had been the top pick of the bipartisan group of law makers that sifted through contenders, but Hastert and Majority Leader Dick Armey turned to Wright instead. The two GOP leaders said they had been given a list of three finalists—Wright and O’Brien included — but were unaware of any ranking. I ‘I am a patient man. But even I do not easily take in stride carelessly tossed accusations of bigotry.’ Dennis Hastert I Speaker of the G.S. House Clinton wraps up visit to India at high-tech center by Terence Hunt Associated Prbss Jaipur, India — President Clinton danced with women in a rural village Thursday and lucked out on a safari when he saw a Bengal tiger come close to pouncing on a deer. The president said that at the request of wildlife experts, he would issue a plea for preservation of India’s endangered tigers {gainst continued poaching. Twen ty of the magnificent animals were lost last year, he said After high-level meetings and sight seeing through the week, the president concludes his Indian trip Friday by vis iting a high-tech center and the finan cial capital of this struggling country. The president leaves India with at least one regret: He followed the advice of White House advisers who, fearing embarrassing pictures, persuaded him not to ride on a painted elephant. “I des perately wanted to ride on an elephant’s back,” Clinton lamented later. “I’ve al ways wanted to do it” Clinton avoided a run-in with frisky monkeys by surrendering the lei he was wearing around his neck. “Once I was deflowered they didn’t pay attention to me, ’’ the president said with a laugh. “I don’t mind these monkeys liking me but I don’t want to get 4,700 shots” if they had bit him. Clinton’s final day in India was open ing in Hyderabad, ahub of India’s emerg ing high-tech industry with offices of Microsoft, Oracle, GE Capital and oth er American firms. The president was to visit a local clinic where children are immunized and then turn his attention to technology. He ends the day in Bom bay, India’s business center, his last stop before visiting Pakistan on Saturday. On Thursday, Clinton went to the rural village of Nayla and heard stories of women battling for higher wages, ed ucation for girls, better social conditions and against forced marriages. One of their enterprises is a women-run milk cooperative that sells directly to a dairy, cutting out the middlemen. “Awake women of my land. It’s time we empowered ourselves,” they sang in Hindi. “There was an edge to those women today,” Clinton said admiringly later. “They had something. It was special. They knew they’d done something that mattered.” In courtyard outside a community center, the president joined the women in a tratfitionai folk dmce, trying to match them swaying and waving their hands. They showered Clinton with yellow and red flower petals that stuck in his hair and blanketed his shirt. “It took me three hours to get them out,” he said Clinton’s next stop was at a hilltop fortress — Amber Fort — which was built by a maharaja in the 16th centu- q ry. The palace gateways were built high enough to let elephants pass—and there were more than a dozen elephants, all painted in bright pastels, waiting for the president. White House chief of staff John Podesta and press secretary Joe Lock hart counseled Clinton not to take an elephant ride—but they did themselves when the media were distracted else where by Clinton. Carolina Classics USC Football Recruiting Hosts & Hostesses Invite vou to an Informational Social on Wednesday March 29fh 7:00-5:30pm at the Golden Spur, Russell House ATTENTION Rising Seniors and First-Year Graduate Students: The National Science Foundation awards $77,500 graduate fellowships for study and r^searc\\ leading to a master's degree or doctoral degree in the sciences and engineering. USC had 6 winners last year! Learn how to add you name to the list! NSF GRAbUATE FELLOWSHIP WORKSHOP Wednesday, March 29, 4 pm Gressette Room, Third Floor Harper College i For more information, call the Fellowships Office at 777-Q958 Pope expresses sadness . for persecution of Jews by Victor L. S i m p s h o n Associated Press Jerusalem—Standing before the ash es of death-camp victims in the candlelit shadows of Israel’s Holocaust memorial, a visibly moved Pope John Paul II told the Jewish people on Thursday that his church is “deeply saddened”by Christ ian persecution of Jews through the cen turies. The tribute in the drafty stone halls of the Yad Vashem Memorial was both historic and personal for a pope who lost boyhood friends in the Nazi genocide. But it did not satisfy those looking for an apology from the leader of the world’s 1 billion Roman Catholics for the church’s official silence amidst the mass killing of Europe’s Jews. The somber ceremony attended by Israeli officials, Holocaust survivors and Jewish friends from the pope’s own hometown in Poland was punctuated by small, touching moments, as well as grand gestures. A Holocaust survivor greeting the pope began crying, and he gently patted her arm in consolation. Israeli Prime Min ister Ehud Barak, his voice hoarse with emotion, at one point helped the frail pontiff from his chair and handed him his cane. A letter from a Holocaust victim to her son, read out in Polish at the cere mony as John Paul followed intently, moved many to tears. In an anguished voice, a Jewish cantor sang a Prayer for the Martyrs. A police commander in uni form wept. I have come to Yad Vashem to pay homage to the millions of Jewish people who, stripped of everything, especially of their human dignity, were murdered in the Holocaust,” John Paul said. “As bishop of Rome and successor of the Apostle Peter, I assure the Jewish people that the Catholic Church, moti vated by the Gospel law of truth and love, and by no political considerations, is deeply saddened by the hatred, acts of persecu tion and displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews by Christians at any time and in any place,” the pope said. He said he hoped good would come from the bad and that followers of the two faiths would build a new future, based on their common roots. Afterwards, Barak said John Paul had done more than any other church leader “to dress the bitter wounds that festered y over many bitter centuries.” The prime minister’s grandparents perished in the Treblinka death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. “I think I can say, your Holiness, that your coming here today ... is a climax of this historic journey of healing,” he said. “This very moment holds within it 2,000 years of history.” Still, many were frustrated at John — I Paul s refusal to assign blame to the Ro man Catholic church hierarchy — in par ticular Pius XII, the World War II-era pontiff — for the church’s failure to speak * out against the Holocaust. * The pope is one of the staunchest de fenders of Pius, who is being considered by the Vatican for beatification, a step be fore sainthood. The Vatican has said Pius did not know the extent of Hitler’s puiges, and John Paul has called him “a great pope.” Israel’s chief rabbi, Israel Meir Lau, a Holocaust survivor, said he was disap pointed that the pontiff did not mention Pius XII, “a pope who didn’t say a word at a time when rivers of blood were streaming all over Europe.” “Pius XU didn’t like us, he was silent. At least this pope is speaking out,” said Jacov Silverstein, 75, wearing a black and-white-striped cap of concentration ^ camp inmates. He was one of 20 Holo caust survivors at Yad Vashem during the pope’s address. The hour at the Holocaust memori al was the emotional highlight of his groundbreaking visit to the Jewish state and sealed his legacy of unprecedented activism to reconcile Catholics and Jews. ‘I have come to Yad Vashem to pay homage to the millions of Jewish people who, stripped of every thing, especially of their human dignity, were mur dered in the Holocaust.’ Pope John Paul II Budget from page 3 “You won’t answer the question,” Sen. Jim Bryan, D-Laurens, shouted at Sen. Joe Wilson, R-West Columbia. Leaders in the Democrat-con trolled Senate and the Republican-con trolled House had worked out an agree ment to pass the bill quickly so new radio =n equipment could be bought before hur ricane season starts in June. But Repub licans in the Senate held up the bill by pressing to fund property tax cuts for se niors in the next fiscal year. Senate Democrats said the tax-cul plan was irresponsible because it woulc be paid for with one-time money. They also accused Republicans of election-yeai games by trying to get them on record a; opposing tax cuts. “I don’t view things as election-yeai politics,” said Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R Florence. “I view them as good for ou: people or not good for our people.” Sen. Ernie Passailaigue, D-Charleston opposed the plan. But realizing i would pass, he increased the plan fron $40 million to $50 million and tied it t( tobacco settlement money to provide fu ture years of funding. The bill passed an< was sent to the House, where similar pro posals in the state budget bill were de feated. Sen. Tom Moore, D-Clearwater, thinks the House will vote against this bill, too, sending it to a conference com mittee of lawmakers that can get the leg islation back in its original form. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, had wanted quick approval of the bill to get the hurricane evacuation money in place. He was frustrated that lawmak ers in his own party have delayed the bill with the tax cut plan. “I’ll just have to deal with it,” he said. “There was no coordination” be tween House and Senate Republicans on the tax-cut plan Wilson offered, House Majority Leader Rick Quinn, R-Colum bia, said. Harrell and Wilkins said the Senate acted too late with their plan. They said they’ll see how sincere Senate Democ rats are in providing the tax break when , deliberations begin on the budget bill. If they are sincere, Harrell said, they’ll 1 amend the House budget bill to include the cuts. E-mails from page 3 And plaintiffs in the civil suit, bros^ i ^ by individuals contending the White House improperly obtained and misused their FBI background files, sought e-mails as part of their document request. The Justice Department disclosed its investigation in a court filing in that law suit, asking the judge for more time to review the matter. The delay was called a “ploy” by Larry Klayman of Judicial Watch, the conservative legal oiganization that filed the $90 million class-action suit. “This is not the first time the Clin ton-Gore Justice Department used its campaign finance task force as an excuse to try to take evidence away from the court,” Klayman said, adding he would oppose the delay and seek court sajjc- s tions if the deadline is not met. Reconstmcting the incoming e-mails from 1996-99 would involve a costly and time-consuming undertaking: up to $3 million and up to two years, Nolan has told Rep. Dan Burton, chairman of the House Government Reform Commit tee.