Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

After the last revelations concerning the Clinton administration’s involvement in transferring sensitive missile technology to Communist China, even members of his own party seem exasperated.

One senior Democrat Senator has even revived his call for an investigation by an independent counsel to determine whether or not national security policy decisions by the Clinton White House were influenced by Chinese donations to the Democrat National Committee.

Below are some quotes from senior Democrat officials and strategists attempting to distance themselves from President Clinton:

Senator Joe Biden, appearing on Fox News, May 17, 1998:

• "It bothers me quite frankly, and this is a serious investigation. It should be pursued."
• "It should be ferreted out. The person [responsible] should be indicted and put in jail no matter who it is."
• " . . . any correlation of quid pro quo should be ferreted out."

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, appearing on ABC This Week, May 17, 1998:

• Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan: "Well, those things connect, and I, I then said [in 1996], . . . there has been an Asian attack on our political system, and the Chinese specifically. And we'd better find out about it, and the way to do it is an independent counsel. I still think that."

• Cokie Roberts: "And this week's revelations that in fact it was Chinese military money leads you to say that more strongly?"

• Sen. Moynihan: "Same view. We just know more. The questions that George [Will] asked are not going to go away. We'd better resolve them. I'm perfectly prepared to believe that none of those connections actually took place, but you'd better disprove it."

• Sam Donaldson: "You're saying an independent counsel to look into the activities of President Clinton and Vice President Gore?"

• Sen. Moynihan: "Well, in the combination—in the context of these technology transfers and so forth. And we know there was an attack . . .now we know names. Let's get it out and be done with it, and see that it doesn't happen again."

 Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, calling for Justice Department probe, press briefing, May 18, 1997:

• "I think that there are just a lot of unanswered questions that have to be resolved. And I think the best way with which to resolve them is with a complete investigation on the part of the Justice Department."

 Democrat Senate Campaign Committee Chairman Bob Kerrey, calls for aggressive investigation of the Clinton-Chinese connection, Roll Call, May 25, 1998:

• "I love my country a lot more than I love the DSCC."

Democrat Strategist Peter Hart, Baltimore Sun, May 20, 1998:

• "Democrats don’t want to tie themselves to the Clinton mast at this point because they don’t know what’s ahead."
• Unnamed Democrat campaign operative quoted in the same article: "This administration is going to sink and I don’t want my clients standing on the deck when it happens."

 Democrat Strategist James Carville: (silence)*

Updated: August 13, 1998

• "Lax Security in Satellite Exports Points to Risks," Los Angeles Times, p. A1, July 19, 1998

(details the breakdown in Clinton administration’s system for safeguarding sensitive technological secrets)

• "Chinese Delivery," Bill Gertz, National Review, June 1, 1998

(shows how Clinton’s liberalized transfer policies helped improve China’s missile program)

• The Clinton administration’s lax arms control enforcement: Column by Rep. Curt Weldon, Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1998

• "Inside the Secret Arms Deals of the Communist Chinese," Policy Perspective, House Republican Policy Committee, March 11, 1996

(details the lax arms control enforcement of the Clinton administrastion)

• "The Importance of Acquiring a National Ballistic Missile Defense System," Fact Sheet, House Republican Conference, August, 4, 1998