Gingrich throws support behind Steve Stockman By

By TERRI LANGFORD
Associated Press

HOUSTON - House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Saturday painted President Clinton as a "counterfeit conservative" who talks a good moderate game, then sabotages those he tries to emulate.

"We're over here standing with the American people (who say) balance the budget, reform welfare with an emphasis on the work ethic, reduce taxation, reduce Washington bureaucracy," Gingrich said.

"And Clinton comes trotting across everyday like a counterfeit conservative, gets as close to as he can, as long as it's only words, and as soon as he gets a bill, he vetoes it."

Gingrich, speaking at a fun- draiser for U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Friendswood, said a gap has been forged between select friends of Clinton - trial attorneys, the media, unions and bureaucrats - and the rest of America, who count on the Re- publican Party for proper action in Washington.

"Steve and I believe when you go to work and you earn money, it's yours," Gingrich said. "We believe that the government has to be run so frugally and spend its money so wisely that it earns the right to take a little of your money. That's the attitude on our side.

"Our liberal friends believe that your earned money is theirs. That if they leave you a few crumbs, you ought to be grateful because they could have taken it all."

Stockman is counting on Gingrich's appearance to give him a leg up on what appears to be a tough re-election bid this fall.

"I'm here, I'm in your face and I'm Republican. Get used to it," Stockman told about 400 people, mostly older and white residents of the 9th Congressional District, who paid $25 to $125 each.
An auction of paraphernalia ranging from a baseball auto- graphed by Gingrich to a photo opportunity with the speaker raised $3,700 for Stockman's campaign.

Stockman, who rode an anti-incumbent fever into office two years ago against 42-year incumbent Democrat Jack Brooks, now faces a challenge from attorney Nick Lampson, who counts union members among his supporters.

Stockman's district, which in- cludes part of the Houston Ship Channel, stretches east to Beau- mont and south to the NASA suburb of Friendswood and Galveston. The district has a large number of working-class voters.

"We have a tough campaign," said Stockman. "Our district is heavily unionized, and the unions (are) very much com- mitted to unseating us.

"I believe the positive message which Newt brought today is going to facilitate victory in the fall," the Republican freshman said.

Gingrich, after his speech, told reporters that he supports Sen. Bob Dole's surprise resignation from the Senate to devote full time to the presidential campaign. "I thought it was a very courageous decision."

Gingrich also said that there is room in the Republican Party for those who are "pro-choice," but did not support the removal of such a plank from the GOP platform in San Diego this summer.
"Clearly we're going to be a party with a strong right-to-life plank, but there's also room in the Republican Party for people who are pro choice," Gingrich said.

Outside the fundraiser, about 30 protesters, many of them union members, picketed the speech, calling Stockman and his party "anti-worker."

"I feel it's their attitude toward employees," explained Judy Ladd, a 53-year-old geo- clerk for a Houston oil company.

"I heard (Republican Senator) Al Simpson say on radio one morning ... (that) in his view- point corporations should have a right to whatever they want with their employees - lay them off, fire them, use them as contract workers and hire them only when needed and otherwise not worry about them," she said.

"In my estimation, that is the most vile form of corporate slavery in the world."