A New White House Counsel
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 7) -- President Bill Clinton has asked former Watergate prosecutor Charles Ruff to become his next White House counsel, succeeding Jack Quinn, who announced his resignation last month. CNN has learned that Ruff, who currently is corporation counsel for the District of Columbia, has accepted the president's offer. Ruff will become the fifth White House counsel. Before Quinn, Bernard Nussbaum, Lloyd Cutler and Abner Mikva served in that troubled office. Ruff will join the White House at a time of continuing legal problems facing the president and his staff, including continuing investigations into Whitewater, the misuse of FBI files, the firing of the White House travel office, the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit which comes before the Supreme Court next week, and questionable Democratic party fund-raising activities.
Dole Returns To The Senate
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 7) -- Bob Dole returned today to a familiar place, the U.S. Senate, to see his successor, Sam Brownback, take the oath of office. "It feels good," said Dole. "It's like the good old days." Dole, who lost in November to Bill Clinton, called the new group of freshmen senators a "pretty good group." Fifteen new senators -- nine Republicans and six Democrats -- took the oath.
Blanchard Tops List For Dem Party Chair
WASHINGTON (CNN, Jan. 7) -- Sources tell CNN there's a short list for the chairmanship of the Democratic Party, including former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, outgoing housing secretary Henry Cisneros, and former West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton. The sources say Blanchard, who most recently served as the U.S. ambassador to Canada and is currently associated with a major Washington law firm, is the frontrunner. But they insist no final decision has yet been made. President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore have been taking the lead in considering the various candidates. A decision is required by January 21st. The current party co-chairmen, Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd and Don Fowler, are winding up their terms of office. The next chairman faces several major headaches, including the fallout from controversial Democratic Party fundraising activities.