ONE hundred leaders and members of Irish American organisations have written a letter of support to President Clinton to dissociate themselves from recent criticism of him by the Irish National Caucus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Many Irish Americans, including some prominent in the fight for the MacBride Principles, were particularly angered at the tone of the criticisms made by Father Sean McManus, who runs the Irish National Caucus.
They reject the threat to Mr Clinton made by the Caucus - which is a lobby office in Washington run virtually singlehandedly by Father McManus - that he would "destroy himself politically among Irish Americans" for breaking a campaign promise to support the principles.
Father McManus also described Mr Clinton's actions as a terrible betrayal of Irish Americans."
Mr Clinton recently vetoed a Bill - for unrelated reasons - which included a clause saying the MacBride Principles should be applied to any US aid given to the International Fund for Ireland.
The signatories to the letter praising President Clinton include Mr Pat Doherty of New York City Comptroller's Office, one of the most effective campaigners for the MacBride Principles; Ms Rita McMullan, a former associate of Father McManus in the Irish National Caucus, and Mr Larry Downes of the Brehon Law Society, who is also chairman of Friends of Sinn Fein.
Also among those who signed are prominent individuals in the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Irish American Unity Conference, the Irish American Labour Coalition, Americans for a New Irish Agenda and Irish Northern Aid.
In response to criticism of his action in the Irish Voice newspaper last week, Father McManus said: "The Voice is simply out of touch if it thinks that President Clinton can break a promise to Irish Americans and not be damaged politically"
But the letter by the 100 Irish Americans is a strong signal to the White House that Father McManus is out of touch with Irish American opinion concerning President Clinton.
The AOH committee last week withdrew an invitation to Mr Clinton to address its national convention at St Paul, Minnesota on July 25th because he vetoed a Bill outlawing partial birth abortions.
The letter writers said they wished to reaffirm their support for the President "in his quest for peace in Northern Ireland". No American president in the 20th century "has devoted as much time, attention and energy to the issues that concern Irish Americans as this President. The vast majority of Irish Americans acknowledge a tremendous debt to the President for his active interest in bringing about a resolution to the Northern Ireland conflict and in ending the historic discrimination against Irish immigration.
President Clinton displayed tremendous courage in arranging for the issuance of a visa to Gerry Adams two years ago. This single act paved the way for the initiation of the peace process, the first real ray of hope in the 25 years conflict in Northern Ireland."
It praised his appointment of Senator George Mitchell as envoy and his visit to Northern Ireland and added: "Many of us do not agree of course with each and every position of the Administration. We each acknowledge however that Ireland and Irish America has no, greater friend than Bill Clinton.