Capital briefs

* DEMS SAVE DEATH TAX: The House last week failed to override President Clinton's veto of the estate and gift tax repeal measure, 274 to 157. Although the death tax bill had the requisite two-thirds super-majority when it passed 279 to 136 on June 9, this time around Minority Whip Rep. David Bonior (D.-Mich.) successfully brought the absent Democrats into line with the party majority while convincing a handful of the bill's Democratic supporters to oppose the override attempt. Rep. Doug Bereuter (Neb.) was the only Republican to switch his vote and join ranks with House Democrats in opposing the veto override. (See HUMAN EVENTs rollcall, next week.) Any death tax repeal will now have to wait until next year.

* SENATE IGNORES CHINA'S PROBLEMS: In the wake of a State Department report documenting the further deterioration of religious liberty and human rights In China, the Senate nonetheless last week overwhelmingly rejected an amendment to the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) bill that would have delayed PNTR until China could demonstrate improvement in religious freedom. Only 28 senators-a blend of conservatives such as Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) and Bob Smith (R.N.H.) and liberals led by Paul Wellstone (D.-Minn.) and Ted Kennedy (D.-Mass.)-supported the amendment while 69 opposed it. (See HUMAN EVENTS rollcall next week.)

* GORE SNUBS VETS: Al Gore has made history as the first presidential candidate ever to decline an Invitation to the American Legion National Convention. Gore claimed a scheduling conflict prevented his appearance. A spokesman for the American Legion said that the group extended the invitation to the Vice President more than three months ago.

* IS CAMPBELL COMING? Although Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah) has given his blessings to President Clinton's controversial nomination of former Iowa Atty. Gen. Bonnie Campbell to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Senate conservatives appear certain to launch a major fight against her. Outspoken leftist Campbell once filed a brief siding with a public employees union against her own client (the state of Iowa) and, while running for governor in 1994, implored the Iowa Education Association to "help me resist the people at the table who are your greatest enemies: extremists, fundamentalist Christians, anti-tax groups"

* BARBOUR COMING ON BOARD? The hottest rumor in national GOP circles last week was that former Republican National Chairman Haley Barbour would shortly take on a full-time strategist's role in the Bush presidential effort. One of the earliest "Friends of W," Barbour has been an informal but close adviser to the Texan and would have to take a leave of absence from his lucrative Washington, D.C., law practice to join the campaign.

* RUSSIA ON HORIZON: Even though foreign policy is being discussed minimally in the presidential campaign right now, sources close to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (RAIL) told HUMAN EVENTS last week to "keep your eye on Russia:' On September 19, the Speaker's Advisory Group on Russia, chaired by Rep. Christopher Cox (R.-Calif.)-whose special House committee last year exposed Red Chinese thefts of U.S. missile technologywill release an in-depth study of the deteriorating conditions In Russia.

The study-titled Russia's Road to Corruption: How the Clinton Administration Exported Government Instead of Free Enterprise and Failed the Russian People-is expected to play a big role in the presidential campaign because, according to the Hastert source, it pays "particular attention to All Gore's role in the administration's policy toward Russia."

* CRANE IN GOOD SHAPE: Stalwart conservative Rep. Phil Crane (RAIL) now is in excellent shape to become the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, replacing the retiring Bill Archer (R.-Tex.)-if, of course, the GOP holds on to the House. Earlier this year, more moderate Rep. Bill Thomas (R.-Calif.) was considered the front-runner for the post, even though he has less seniority than Crane, but Crane has been showing his old verve. He's been campaigning around the country for GOP congressional candidates, hiring new staff and successfully convincing party stalwarts and his colleagues in the House that he is the man for the job.

* BE AFRAID: If Democrats win back control of the House, New York Rep. Charles Rangel is in line to become chairman of Ways and Means. Asks Congressional Quarterly on its September 2 cover, "Is New York's Rangel Too Liberal for Tax Chair?" Inside, CQ notes that "his support rating from the AFL-CIO has been a perfect 100% ten times since 1985, while his U.S. Chamber of Commerce support averaged 17%" His lifetime American Conservative Union rating is a lowly 4%.

One of the founders of the far-left Congressional Black Caucus and a longtime supporter of normalizing relations with Communist Cuba, Rangel has reaped a huge payload of business contributions this year as corporations position themselves for a possible Rangel reign.