Nevadans eagerly await State of the Union

Larry Henry

Monday, Jan. 26, 1998 | 10:06 a.m.

Rep. Jim Gibbons hopes President Clinton doesn't try to divert attention away from the latest sex scandal by proposing an outrageous national initiative during Tuesday's State of the Union address.

"Let's hope he hasn't gone to see the show 'Wag the Dog,'" Gibbons, R-Nev., joked.

In the recently released movie, a Clintonesque president becomes caught up in a sex scandal with a White House aide. A phony war with Albania is concocted to overshadow the mess.

White House spokesman Mike McCurry has not ruled out the possibility that Clinton on Tuesday will discuss allegations that he had an affair with a White House intern and asked her to lie about it.

But many Democrats expect Clinton to focus instead on domestic initiatives that might help his party during the fall congressional elections. Those issues include child care, Medicare and tax reductions.

One Nevada Democrat said Clinton would be well advised to highlight how strong the economy has become in recent years.

"I would hope the president reminds us we've come a long way in closing the deficit and not spending more money than we have," Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said. "I hope he would send a note of fiscal restraint."

The speech begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a Republican response from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.

Republicans have been cautioned in a memo from GOP pollster Frank Luntz not to mention the president's sex scandal.

"Too many Americans justify the president's behavior because they dislike his accusers," the memo said. "Please don't add to that justification. The facts speak louder than any of your voices."

While Lott is expected to stick to the issues during his rebuttal, some Republicans are having trouble following the memo's advice.

Gibbons said the scandal, if it lingers into summer and Clinton is culpable, could hurt Democrats in the fall.

Republicans hold an 11-seat majority in the House and hope to add to that.

"If the outcome is like '74 (during Nixon's Watergate scandal), it will effect the outcome of the mid-term elections," Gibbons said.

As for the State of the Union address, Gibbons said he wants Clinton to discuss his plans to rescue Social Security and to reduce the size of government.

Gibbons also said Clinton should assure the public that he is working to streamline the Internal Revenue Service.