WARRING OVER WHITEWATER

President Clinton reversed course and agreed to provide Senate Whitewater Committee with notes taken by former Associate White House counsel William Kennedy during a controversial 1993 Whitewater meeting. Just as quickly, the committee turned him down. The offer, faxed to the senators minutes before they voted 10-8 along Party lines to ask the full Senate to enforce a subpoena of Kennedy's notes within 24 hours, also would have allowed them to question four presidential aides who attended the meeting. But having for weeks cited attorney-client privilege, the President attached important conditions to the deal: Clinton's private attorneys could not have been questioned, the committee had to agree that the meeting was still privileged, and other Whitewater investigative bodies must agree to the terms. "This offer is reasonable," notes TIME's J.F.O. McAllister, "since it's impossible to argue there's no privilege between the President and his attorneys. It's also a wise tactic politically since complying with it will delay the investigation." But Senator Al D'Amato, the committee chairman, clearly preferred a court fight: "It's good politics to keep this issue churning, especially given Newt Gingrich's recent problems."