Backing off `Clinton's war'

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, assuming his new duties as a partyleader, quietly is advising Republican colleagues not to try to"steal" the Yugoslav war from President Clinton.

Hastert wants the GOP to take the position that "it's Clinton'swar," meaning that he should get the blame for it. The speaker isattempting to walk a difficult line, with Republicans neitherobstructing the president nor becoming his active collaborators.That rules out Republican Sen. John McCain's resolution authorizing"all necessary force" against Serbia.

However, the speaker would like Republicans to load Clinton's $6billion emergency war appropriation with badly needed additionaldefense spending. Stealth candidateFormer Sen. Bill Bradley, whose low-profile bid for the Democraticpresidential nomination has become a serious challenge against VicePresident Al Gore, will continue as a stealth candidate throughoutthe next several months.Bradley has raised more money and risen higher in the polls thananybody expected without accepting television talk-show invitations,and his strategists see no need to change. They are overjoyed thatBradley is Gore's only challenger.A footnote: While Gore long ago wrapped up practically everybodyin the Democratic establishment, Bradley has reached out to friendsin the corporate world - especially the entertainment industry. Hissupporters include Michael Eisner of Disney, Barry Diller of USANetwork and Jeffrey Bezos of Amazon.com. George W.'s pioneersThe roster of "pioneers" who have pledged to raise a minimum of$100,000 each for Texas Gov. George W. Bush's Republican presidentialcampaign includes Deepak Chopra, the health guru from La Jolla,Calif.Also listed are golfer Ben Crenshaw and Dallas businessmanTheodore Strauss (brother of Democratic wise man Robert Strauss).As of April 19, a total of 270 pioneers had signed up for Bush.If each fulfills his pledge, that would guarantee $27 million -helping the governor to finance his own campaign without federalmatching funds that impose spending limits. TargetingpharmaceuticalsWashington product-liability lawyer John P. Coale, who has led thelegal assault against tobacco and gun manufacturers, is setting hissights next on the pharmaceutical industry.If Coale sues the drug manufacturers, that would accompany alegislative approach in Congress now gaining support. Rep. Tom Allenof Maine has signed up more than 100 other Democratic House membersin support of his Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act, whichwould require a discount on prescription drugs for Medicarerecipients.Meanwhile, Rep. Henry Waxman of California has mobilized hisDemocratic staff on the House Government Reform and OversightCommittee to produce studies of the pharmaceutical industry's allegedexploitation of senior citizens. Rick Lazio's friendRep. Rick Lazio, contemplating an uphill fight against New YorkCity Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for the Republican Senate nomination, isciting an unusual political reference in Washington: New York'sDemocratic Rep. Charles Rangel.In seeking supporters, Lazio says that - unlike theconfrontational Giuliani - he can get along with everybody. Asevidence, he points to Rangel's friendship with him. Ironically,Republican fund-raisers try to frighten businessmen into contributingto the 2000 congressional campaign by raising the prospect of Rangelbecoming chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committeeif Democrats regain control of the House.Robert Novak appears on the CNN programs "Capitol Gang" at 6 p.m.Saturday, and "Evans, Novak, Hunt and Shields" at 4 p.m. Saturday and10 a.m. Sunday.