Nation: We're Taking Control

The hero of Camp David keeps pushing Congress

It was Jimmy Carter's 54th birthday, and the mood of celebration was upon him. Even before the birthday itself, some 1,000 of the Democratic Party faithful paid $1,000 a plate to join the President in the crowded Washington Hilton ballroom. Leaning forward to admire his multitiered birthday cake, Carter accidentally shoved a hand into the pastry, but nothing could faze him. He simply waved a dripping hand to his admirers. Carter called the affair "the most successful presidential Democratic fund raiser in the history of the U.S.," and he assured the gathering: "We're taking control. Our nation is proud again." The guests roared their agreement.

During the celebration, Carter remarked that the best birthday present he could receive would be passage of the energy bill, and last week he came a big step closer to getting his wish. With votes to spare, the Senate approved, 57 to 42, a compromise on the pricing of natural gas. That had become the centerpiece of what remained of Carter's energy package, and the President happily applauded its passage. It proved, he said, that the U.S. "can courageously deal with an issue that tests our national will and ability."

Actually the Administration got its way partly because of one of the most strenuous lobbying campaigns since the passage of the Panama Canal treaties. "A Herculean lobbying effort," grumbled Democratic Senator Howard Metzenbaum, an opponent of the bill. "The Administration pressured every group to get them to pressure members of the Senate. They lined up the Business Roundtable and General Motors. They made it a patriotic issue to vote for this bill. The Administration put anything on the table to get votes. They really turned out the troops. How could any of us combat that kind of power?"

At 8:30 every morning, the White House lobbying teams met in the East Wing office of Carter's congressional liaison aide, Frank Moore. There they plotted strategy for the day and then fanned out to appeal to anyone who could help: business executives, newsmen, friends of Senators. The pitch was always the same: America needs the energy bill to stop the decline of the dollar and convince foreign nations that the U.S. can put its own house in order.

The President joined the lobbying effort with his disarming soft sell. One of his targets was Nebraska's Democratic Senator Ed Zorinsky, who was recuperating from a double hernia operation. Carter phoned him last month to wish him a speedy recovery, then added as though it were an afterthought: "Keep your mind open on the energy bill." Zorinsky finally voted no.