Dole Seeks Drug Policy Report Gop Hopeful Says Fbi-Dea Memo Critical Of Administration

Bob Dole urged President Clinton to release a federal memo said to be critical of the administration’s antidrug effort, saying Wednesday the document would show Americans “how bad your drug policy has been.”

The 1995 memo from the heads of the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration to Clinton also is being sought by a congressional panel.

Dole also reiterated an earlier demand that Clinton make fuller disclosure of his health records. “You can see mine. I’m very healthy,” the GOP nominee said at a college gymnasium rally.

Dole stepped up his practice for Sunday’s kickoff presidential debate, sparring with an imaginary offstage Clinton at the college rally and with a GOP actor-turned-senator at his campaign headquarters in Washington. Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson is playing the part of Clinton in Dole’s debate practice sessions.

At the Elizabethtown College rally, Dole repeatedly addressed his remarks to Clinton as if the president were on hand.

Speaking of the drug memo, Dole said: “Mr. President, it’s time to release this memo so the American people will really understand how bad your drug policy has been over the last 44 months.”

At issue is a memo by FBI Director Louis Freeh and DEA chief Thomas Constantine.

Clinton took the rare step Tuesday of asserting presidential privilege over the memo, refusing to turn it over to a House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee. The White House said releasing the memo would harm the constitutional separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government.