Washington People: Housing Board Chief Lends Clinton a Hand On Peacemaking Visit to Northern Ireland

Bruce Morrison, the man who actually got the Federal Home Loan Bank presidents to agree on something, took on a bigger challenge last week: peace in Northern Ireland.

The Federal Housing Finance Board chairman accompanied President Clinton on a visit to the Emerald Isle to promote peace between Britain and the outlawed Irish Republican Army.

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Mr. Morrison was national chairman of Irish Americans for Clinton-Gore. And, back in 1993, Mr. Morrison was part of a group that met with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, to help broker a cease-fire.

Mr. Morrison became involved with Irish issues as a U.S. congressman in the 1980s. He sponsored legislation that created special "Morrison visas" for Irish citizens wishing to come to the United States.

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James F. Montgomery, chairman of Great Western Financial Corp., is national vice chairman of Sen. Bob Dole's presidential campaign.

Mr. Montgomery's duties will be - no surprise - fund-raising. He's already held two money-making dinners for the majority leader, one in May, the other Nov. 20.

Helping Mr. Montgomery with the November dinner were other corporate big shots, ARCO Chemical chairman Lod M. Cook and Donald Bren, chairman of the Irvine Co., a California real estate developer.

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Today marks Jonathan Fiechter's third anniversary as head of the Office of Thrift Supervision. The career regulator has never been appointed to the political post of director, choosing instead to keep "acting."

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Apparently even the police are afraid of Alan Greenspan.

Capitol police officers prevented anyone from leaving a House office building Thursday while Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic was entering the building. Officers chased several congressional staffers and reporters who tried to slip out, but they left the Federal Reserve chairman alone when he lowered his head and made a beeline through the police blockade to his waiting car.

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