Republicans denounce Tower innuendo

Press, 4 March 1989, Page 10

Republicans denounce Tower innuendo

NZPA-Reuter Washington Senate Republicans launched a coun-ter-attack on Thursday against new charges that the beleaguered Defence Secretary designate, John Tower, fondled two women while drunk at an Air Force base more than ten years ago. As the Senate began debate on Mr Tower’s nomination, his supporters said the charges were part of a campaign of innuendo against him and that no government officials would be left in Washington if the standards being applied to Mr Tower were applied to everyone else. They also said the soldier who made the fondling charges wasn’t at the base at the time of the alleged incidents. The “Washington Post” reported on Thursday that a retired Air Force sergeant told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that when he saw Mr Tower during two tours of Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas, he “had liquor on his breath and he had trouble talking and was staggering out of the car and up the steps.” It said the retired sergeant, Bob Jackson, told the F. 8.1. that on two visits

in 1976-78 Mr Tower put his hand on the breast of a base secretary and on the buttocks of an enlisted female crew chief on an F-4 aircraft. But the Arizona Republican, John McCain, told the Senate Mr Jackson was not at the base when the alleged incidents occurred. The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 11-9 on party lines last Thursday to recommend the Senate reject the nomination. If it does it would be only the eighth time in history that the Senate has rejected a Cabinet nominee. President Bush needs to win the votes of at least five of the Senate’s 55 Democrats and all 45 Republicans to win Mr Tower’s confirmation. He lost one undecided senator on Thursday when the North Carolina Democrat, Terry Sanford, said he would vote against Mr Tower. At the White House the former Senator, Barry Goldwater, said there would be no government officials left in Washington if the standards applied to Mr Tower were applied to everyone.