Faced with one of the more awkward moments in its history, an impeached chief executive journeying to Capitol Hill to declare that "the state of our nation is strong", Congress Tuesday night gave President Clinton a polite albeit decidedly partisan reception.
Clinton began the speech by echoing the call of newly installed House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to "work together in a spirit of civility and bipartisanship." But while the President's address, which lasted for an hour and 17 minutes, was interrupted almost 100 times for applause, many of the standing ovations were noticeably tilted toward the Democratic side of the aisle.
When a call to strengthen guarantees of "equal pay for equal work" about a third of the way through the speech prompted members of both parties to stand and cheer, Clinton wisecracked: "That was encouraging, you know, there was more balance on the seesaw. I like that. Let's give 'em a hand."
But at least one Republican, Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah, later wondered aloud about the enthusiasm of the Democratic response. "I got the sense that it was more out of obligation than spontaneity," Bennett said.
Clinton made no direct mention of the impeachment proceedings or the allegations that have dogged him throughout the year since his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky became public. And while a handful of Republicans chose to boycott the speech, Republican leaders generally sought to portray themselves as concerned with issues beyond the impeachment controversy.
"... Our country is not in crisis. There are no tanks in the streets," Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., declared as she and Rep. Steve Largent, R-Okla., delivered the official Republican response. Added Dunn, "And no matter what the outcome of the President's situation, life in America will go on. Our lives will continue to be filled with practical matters, not constitutional ones."
She went on to speak at length about "two very practical Republican priorities, tax relief and Social Security reform."
In fact, the post-speech reaction was much like any year: It broke down along distinctly partisan lines.
"Not since the President's first State of the Union address have we heard as vigorous an agenda as he set forth tonight," enthused House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo.
Newly installed House Democratic Caucus Chairman Martin Frost of Texas took a sharp jab at the GOP, declaring: "The President did his country and the Congress a service by moving our focus away from partisan politics and personal attacks ... But the President did us the same service a year ago ... only to see it stymied by a Republican leadership more interested in partisan warfare than the public good."
In turn, newly elected House Republican Conference Vice Chairwoman Tillie Fowler of Florida, echoing several other leading Republicans, professed herself "disappointed" by Clinton's failure to embrace a sweeping tax cut.
"We've got a balanced budget and a booming economy, and Americans are paying more taxes than ever," she declared. "He had nothing in there about giving Americans back their hard-earned money."
Fowler did allow that "I think he laid out an agenda that we can work on in a bipartisan fashion," citing issues such as Social Security, Medicare and education. "The devil is going to be in the details," she noted.
And Republican budget writers and appropriators were skeptical of the new spending initiatives and Social Security reform proposals that Clinton unveiled.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said the fact that Clinton now wants to see private investment of some Social Security funds is encouraging, but "not good enough."
Declared Domenici: "All he has done is to say that a portion should be invested. ... In this budget of his you can't have a tax cut for 15 years because he spends it all."
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., while praising Clinton for mentioning the so-called McCain-Feingold campaign reform bill, gibed: "I'm sorry he doesn't observe those McCain-Feingold restrictions. It doesn't give him credibility on the issue."
As for the speech's potential impact on the ongoing impeachment proceedings, Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., said Clinton has a "wonderful ability to compartmentalize" that allows him to make a good speech. But Gorton contended that it would have no effect in the impeachment trial.
"No, I don't think it will make any difference at all," he said.
Lisa Caruso, Geoff Earle, Keith Koffler, Stephen Norton and Mark Wegner also contributed to this article.
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