Senate Spurns Widening War
The Senate Tuesday set aside Sen. John McCain's effort to give President Clinton unsought authority to use "all necessary force" to win in Yugoslavia. The Arizona Republican bitterly accused the president of being "prepared to lose a war" rather than consider ground forces.
The vote in the Republican-led chamber was 78-22, approving a leadership motion to table - or set aside - McCain's measure.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., told the Senate the legislation could come up again. But, Lott said, "this is the wrong language and it's at the wrong time." He noted that Mr. Clinton hadn't asked for the authority, and had no plans for a ground campaign.
CBS News Producer Mary Hager reports this "blank check" authorization was opposed by both Lott, and Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and was expected to fail despite lobbying by McCain and other senators, including Joe Biden, D-Del.; Dick Lugar, R-Ind., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. McCain and the others have been urging the president to ask NATO for authorization to prepare for ground forces in Kosovo, should they be necessary.
In a speech on the Senate floor, McCain was harshly critical of the president's leadership in the Kosovo mission and claimed that Mr. Clinton's motives were political.
"Publicly and repeatedly ruling out ground troops may be smart politics according to the president's pollster, but it is inexcusably irresponsible leadership," he said.
An opponent of the resolution, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., said the resolution was too wide ranging, "giving the president blanket authority to use whatever action..is a bold and risky stroke."
The Clinton administration also opposes the resolution, fearing that the contentious issue of authorizing ground troops would further divide the Congress and lead to increased efforts by some to curb ther president's authority. Last week, the House of Representatives voted on several Kosovo-related resolutions, none of which garnered enough support to indicate a clear signal as to the House's position on the crisis in Kosovo.
A former prisoner of war, McCain is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 and his outspoken views - and increased media visibility - on Kosovo have bolstered his position in a crowded field of 11 possible contenders.