000306 Chaplain flap concerns Green, Ryan; may haunt Bush later By Melanie Fonder For The News-Chronicle WASHINGTON - Charges of "anti-Catholic" bias have been hurled at both the GOP presidential candidate frontrunner and the Republican House leadership. What the cost - if any - will be for Texas Gov. George W. Bush or the slim Republican majority in the House will be immeasurable until after Novemberís election. Following the appointment more than two months ago of the Rev. Charles Wright, a Presbyterian minister, over a Catholic priest from Milwaukee to the position of the next House chaplain, House Democrats cried foul. But Republicans have maintained their position that the process was fair, mostly expressing disgust that the Democrats would attempt to politicize the issue in the first place. But the House chaplaincy is deadlocked for the moment and has many Republican lawmakers concerned over the treatment of the issue. The entire House must vote to approve Wright's appointment, but the leadership has refused to schedule a vote fearing embarrassing attacks from Democrats, until Wright is invited to meet with Democrats. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, is Catholic, and said he has been shocked at the way the situation has been handled. "Maybe I was naive when I came here, but I believed this wouldn't be and shouldn't be the business of politics," Green said. "I am deeply, deeply disappointed; These types of issues should be above politics." Green added the victims of the process were Wright and the Rev. Timothy O'Brien, the Catholic priest from Marquette University. He said he has fielded some questions from constituents, but that most were "shaking their heads" in disbelief. The selection process began last year when an 18-member committee, evenly divided with Republicans and Democrats, began interviewing candidates. Three candidates were eventually forwarded to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Majority Leader Richard Armey, R-Texas, and Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo. Committee members did not rank the final three candidates, but Democratic members insist the leadership was aware of the committee's support for O'Brien. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, who represents O'Brien's district and is also Catholic, said he was concerned the perception of the process was inaccurately portrayed. "I am convinced Denny (Hastert) and Dick (Armey) are not Catholic bigots," Ryan said. "I don't think people's perception is reality; I fear that this will continue to be political and divisive. Time will heal this perceived wound." About 20 GOP Catholic House members met with Hastert, R-Ill., and Armey, R-Texas, Wednesday to lobby for action soon, but a vote has not been scheduled. The current chaplain, the Rev. James Ford, a Lutheran, wanted to retire at the end of 1999, but has agreed to stay in the post until the controversy is resolved. The anti-Catholic bias leveled at Bush as a result of his visit to Bob Jones University, a South Carolina school which just lifted a ban on interracial dating and calls Catholicism a "cult," may disappear for a short time if he wins the Catholic vote in primary states tomorrow. But, if Bush becomes the GOP nominee, Republican strategists are quietly counting on a thunderous reminder from his likely Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore. This column by Fonder, a staff writer for The Hill, a Washington-based weekly newspaper that covers Congress, appears every Monday in The Green Bay News-Chronicle. You can e-mail her with comments at melfonder@yahoo.com.