WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, who in 1998 voted against both counts of President Bill Clinton's impeachment, has received a $1,000 contribution from Clinton's New York political operative, Harold Ickes Jr.

Specter faces a tough Pennsylvania GOP primary challenge next year from conservative Rep. Pat Toomey. Ickes' firm lobbies the Senate on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union. Specter chairs the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Labor Department.

A footnote: Specter has received a $1,250 contribution from another prominent Democratic lobbyist: Jack Valenti, longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America, who was a top aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson.

W'S IRISH FRIEND

Social conservative activists who have been unable to see President Bush for a year were enraged Wednesday when he met with left-wing Irish rock singer Bono, who demands greater funding against AIDS in Africa.

Louisiana Republican State Rep. Tony Perkins, newly named as president of the Family Research Council, has not seen the president. Bono repaid Bush by blasting the pace of U.S. AIDS spending.

While pollsters advise Bush to take a centrist posture for re-election, social conservatives say he is risking their support.

THE GENERAL'S AIDE

Gen. Wesley Clark began his campaign for president on one wrong step, in the opinion of President Bill Clinton's former aides, by hiring ex-Clinton and Gore adviser Mark Fabiani.

Fabiani got low marks from Clinton insiders as deputy campaign manager for communications and strategy in Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. They complain that Fabiani relied too much on polls and not enough on the issues.

A footnote: Clark picked up two early important supporters in Congress: Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, a former Clinton White House aide.

LIBERAL JUDGE Continued...