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Even as a few of the Senators most directly challenged by him recovered their composure and revealed some of the weaknesses in his position, the affable Georgian remained a cool and fluent witness. Though he absorbed some telling blows as the questioning continued into the weekend, Lance clearly picked up some support on the 17-member committee. As of last week, the committee apparently was almost evenly divided. Seven Senators leaned toward support of the Budget Director (Democrats Thomas Eagleton, Henry Jackson, John Glenn, Sam Nunn, James Sasser, and Lawton Chiles and Republican John Danforth); six seemed to oppose him (Democrat Abraham Ribicoff and Republicans Charles Percy, Jacob Javits, Charles Mathias, William Roth and H. John Heinz). Four Senators appeared undecided (Democrats Ed Muskie and John McClellan were absent from the hearing, Lee Metcalf said little and Republican Ted Stevens' sentiments were unclear). Among Lance's critics, Javits turned out to be one of the most effective, slashing away at the Budget Director's ethics. The most persistent defender of Lance was Nunn, who deftly summed up the case against his fellow Georgian and found it woefully weak.
Whether the Senate committee would ever vote remained in doubt. It had unanimously approved Lance's nomination in January, reaffirmed that decision last July, and would now reverse itself only if a majority could be persuaded that Lance had deceived them in their initial, and admittedly perfunctory, appraisal of his fitness for office. Not only did any such evidence appear to be shaky, but it was certain that the committee could not legally revoke its confirmation. Apparently, at the worst, the committee could render a critical evaluation of Lance's highflying banking practices and thereby strengthen the resignation demands. Ultimately, the decision on Lance's fate still remained with the President. If the unlikely result of the hearings is to exonerate Lance completely, Jimmy Carter could joyously return to his earlier "I'm proud of you Bert" position and break out the grins. In fact, the committee's verdict on Lance is likely to be mixed. So the possibility remains that Lance, claiming to feel personally vindicated, could yet decide on his own to resign. Whether or not Lance stays, jumps, or is pushed by Carter or the committee will depend on how the President and the Senators view the public reaction to his stirring but often shaky defense.
Among politicians, former Democratic Governor Robert Docking of Kansas was sympathetic to Lance. "He defended himself very well and deserves to be heard out. We should not be too quick to condemn people in this country." Republican Richard Aurelio, former deputy mayor of New York City, called the hearings "one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen in public affairs. The Senators have come off looking foolish. Lance's performance has been remarkable."