But in the last couple of weeks, Alan I. Baron, the committee's Democratic counsel, has been talking with Mr. Cobb, Mr. Huang's lawyer.

Many of the proposals by Ms. Jacobs and the Democratic counsel, Chuck Cutolo, aim to make the Legislature more user-friendly.

Richard Ben-Veniste, Democratic counsel, kept interrupting with "You're wasting time" and abusively filibustered, protecting Lindsey from questions about Clinton's Asian connection.

Imagine how Republicans would howl if a Democratic independent counsel let a Democratic administration off the hook.

"It is clear that this case could be applied to a state election campaign," said a Democratic counsel, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"We have no interest in improving what we regard as a fatally flawed proposal," said Julian Epstein, the committee's Democratic counsel.

She is the Democratic counsel for health and oversight on the Senate Finance Committee.

Joe Sandler, who was the Democratic National Committee's general counsel, recalled how Mr. Gore explained his decision.

"We're calling this Latte-gate," said Laura Jordan, Democratic counsel to the House-appointed impeachment panel, of the tempest in a coffee pot that the article has stirred up.

The coverage focuses on the multi-media-illustrated presentations made yesterday to the committee by the Republican counsel, David Schippers, and the Democratic counsel, Abbe Lowell.