Congressional Feuding

Re “Partisan Feud Erupts in House Over Gingrich Book Deal,” Jan. 19:

A nasty feud erupted on the floor of the House over a little-used censure rule. The rule allows that personal remarks may be stricken from the official record. While it is true that enforcement of this rule represents a departure from the norm, certain members’ childlike altercation over it was utterly partisan and therefore devoid of any legislative content.

Voters entrust House members with the people’s business. Squabbles about whether or not members can call each other names aren’t important. We pay them to lead. We certainly don’t pay them to be distracted so easily from the people’s business when they are called names.

Get on with the business at hand. The November election registered voter outrage with a tradition of undisciplined and ill-conceived spending habits. In this regard both parties have been ineffectual. America will be better off if the House spent less time on partisan one-upmanship and more time on the merits or demerits of proposals and bills before the House.

R. W. GAYTON

Palos Verdes

I resent the fact the House Democrats are holding up important legislation, which will benefit the citizens of this nation, with their continual demonization of Newt Gingrich. It seems to be their only goal this session, obviously because they have no agenda of their own, and I deplore the wasting of our tax dollars to accomplish these ends.

The results of the November election gave the Republican Party a mandate to make certain changes in our government, which they are trying to do, and these citizens who voted for change are growing increasingly impatient with the antics of the liberals in both the House and the Senate.

MARY J. MONK

San Clemente

Thank you for the “Developments on the Hill” summations. People are watching Congress like never before.

Now we will see where each stands. First we watch Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), the absolute master of the rules. Look what he did to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Jan. 9).

ROBERT S. CARSON

Hawthorne

House Speaker Gingrich criticized Democrats for a strategy aimed at his own “personal destruction” (Jan. 20). Gee, isn’t that sort of like the true actions of Gingrich, Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), Rush Limbaugh and the entire Christian Coalition during the past two years, toward the President?

I’m convinced now, more than ever, that the constant barrage of misinformation being put forth by the majority party will yield a backlash sooner, rather than later.

DONALD ROWAN

Placentia

I’m amazed at the weeping and whining of Gingrich and his henchmen by claiming that Democrats are out to destroy him. This from a group that for two years has tried to destroy President Clinton because of Clinton’s victory over Bush. All that the Republicans have on Clinton is innuendo and unproved allegations. On the other hand we learned of Gingrich’s ethical and moral failings by his own words and actions, which cry out for an impartial investigation outside of Congress.

The latest attempt to extort a hands-off-Gingrich policy from the Democrats is just that--extortion and blackmail.

JULES S. GREENBERG

Newport Beach

Pour it on, guys and gals. Vicious attacks on Gingrich in the House. Frivolous delays of legislation in the Senate. Thumb your nose at the business of the people.

Keep it up. You’re making it a lot easier to un-elect Democrats in 1996.

R. D. (DON) WEBB

Torrance

Gingrich’s book deal has certainly stirred a lot of controversy. There’s a mess of charges and countercharges to deal with, discussions on TV and editorials in the newspapers. I don’t need TV shows, editorials or independent counsel to figure this one out. I did so by relying on a good ol’ saying from our home state of Georgia . . . Newt, “The bit dawg hollers!”

DONALD G. JOEL

Laguna Beach

I think that Gingrich should find another publisher for his books or postpone writing them until he is out of office.

The voters gave notice last November that they were fed up with our public officials catering to special interests and wanted an open and honest government without even the appearance of impropriety.

I believed in the Republican promise and I hope they won’t let us down.

JEAN LaPLANT

Los Angeles

The poll results (“Americans Ambivalent on GOP’s ‘Contract,’ ” Jan. 24) are amazing. If people hold these opinions, why in the world did they vote for the Republicans? The only possible answer is: It was a brainless and purely emotional vote. Now that the small print in the “contract” is beginning to become legible, brains begin functioning again.

THEODORE FRONT

Los Angeles