A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

By Ryan Thornburg
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Wednesday, May 5, 1999

The way George R. Berry sees it, Monica S. Lewinsky owes him $40 million to pay for Kenneth W. Starr's investigation and another $100,000 for compensatory damages. No one was home at the Hollywood, Fla., house Berry listed on federal court documents as his address to explain why he's more entitled than anyone else to get all $40 million.

"My front porch strategy is working well enough that I may as well stay here for the summer." – Texas Gov. George W. Bush, quoted by an unnamed state lawmaker, on his low-key GOP presidential campaign. (The Austin American-Statesman, May 4)

In any case, Berry's suit probably won't be around very long. He sold his official residence two years ago and said he would like to represent himself because the $150 in his savings account really isn't quite enough to hire a lawyer.
• Woe is Monica: She's Being Sued (The Miami Herald, May 5)

President Clinton is also being sued – again. Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.) has joined 16 House members in filing his third lawsuit against Clinton in the last 16 months. The suit alleges that Clinton is violating the War Powers Act by deploying troops near Kosovo.
• Schaffer In Suit Against Clinton Over Legality of Yugoslavian War (The Rocky Mountain News, May 5)

Alexander Raises $1M; Gore Garners 44 Endorsements
Supporters of Lamar Alexander's GOP presidential campaign were crowing that last night's $1-million fund-raising dinner in Nashville doubled the amount of money that Vice President Al Gore raised there last month. Meanwhile, Gore picked up the endorsements of nearly all Democratic delegates to the California state Assembly
• Alexander Starts Campaign With $1 Million Fund-Raiser (The Tennessean, May 5)
• California's Democratic Assembly Members Ready to Back Gore (San Francisco Chronicle, May 5)

Bush May Have Busy Summer on the Home Front
After the Texas legislature ends its session May 31, Gov. George W. Bush (R) is scheduled to hit the campaign trail for the first time. Yet, he may instead continue the "front-porch" campaign that appears to have worked well so far and is leaning toward calling a special legislative session to push for $2 billion in tax cuts. The problem is that recent polls show Bush has excellent name recognition but that few Texans could say what he has accomplished. Those findings may be motivating Bush to score a high-profile political win at home before heading on the campaign trail.
• Tax-Cut Session Close, Say Legislators (The Austin American-Statesman, May 4)

Bush could also be busy this summer with a lawsuit that was filed Tuesday by an environmental group that claims Bush violated the state's open-records law by withholding documents about shaping a policy on industrial air pollution.
• Suit Claims Governor's Office Sat on Pollution-Plan Records (The Austin American-Statesman, May 4)

Washington Governor Wants Law Keeping Kids From Loaded Guns
Washington Gov. Gary Locke (D) wants state legislators to approve a bill that would prohibit adults from leaving loaded guns where children can get to them. The bill, opposed by the National Rifle Association, was killed in committee earlier in the session.
• Locke Wants Law to Protect Kids From Loaded Guns Left by Adults (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 5)

Rep. Wise Likely to Face Challenge in Gubernatorial Primary
Rep. Bob Wise, who announced earlier this week that he would be seeking the Democratic nomination for West Virginia governor, will likely face prominent primary challengers.
• Wise Won't Have Race to Himself (Daily Mail, Charleston, W.Va., May 4)

Southern Blacks Continue Spoiler Role in Democratic Party
Black Democrats, who helped deliver surprise electoral victories across the South last year, may block part of the gambling agenda of South Carolina Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges, an issue that also helped party candidates in the South last year. Members of the Legislative Black Caucus are upset that Hodges is not giving blacks a large enough role in state government.
• Black Caucus Considering Bloc Vote Against Poker Plan (The State, Columbia, S.C., May 5)

In Florida, where black Democrats anger at white party leaders helped derail the party's gubernatorial candidate, will meet later this month to discuss ways of reuniting the state party. The meeting comes as Florida faces a rising battle over affirmative action.
• Black Democrats to Meet in Effort to Reunify Party (St. Petersburg Times, May 5)
• Anti-Preference Activists Ready (St. Petersburg Times, May 5)

Pataki Talks Tough on Domestic Violence
New York Gov. George Pataki (R) announced on Tuesday a proposal that would stiffen laws against domestic violence.
• Pataki Proposes Tough Measure to Crack Down on Domestic Violence (The New York Times, May 5, registration required)

Arizona Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Campaign Finance Law
Arizona's top court on Monday rejected a claim that a new state law increasing the role of public money in campaign violates the First Amendment.
• Challenge to Clean Elections Law Denied (The Arizona Republic, May 4)

Ryan Thornburg can be reached at ryan.thornburg@washingtonpost.com